Bridging The Two Worlds
by Magikcard
Summary: When Hisui is tasked with developing Magnolia as a test to see her ability as a ruler, she is fully determined in passing and doing her best. However, Natsu is trying to have her loosen up and have some fun. The balance between duty and personal interest is a tricky dance to perform. And with such an unorthodox partner to boot.
1. Chapter 1: Out of Norm

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

Hisui sighed while seated on her bed, back straight from the long hours of tutoring. Her emerald hair glistened from the shower she just took. Looking at the desk, Hisui noticed another letter that wasn't there before. It's not unusual for a servant to deliver letters to Hisui's chambers. Another one wouldn't have made the Princess bat an eye. However, the colour of the letter and the design of it just made Hisui sigh again. It was pink and ornamented with flowers—particularly roses. The wax seal told Hisui the sender's identity.

"Him again…" Hisui suppressed a groan, deciding to handle the letter in a more mature manner. "How many times did I reject him?" Hisui simply tossed the letter in the bin without reading the contents, knowing that the words of flattery aren't really written by him, but a servant. Hisui would know from the many yet, tedious visits to the Duke, Hisui learned that his ways with words and his vocabulary pool is crude and shallow—nothing like the romantic composition of the letters Hisui has read in the past. Thus, the Princess developed a distain for his forgery. It didn't matter now if the letter was written by Duke John, he already played his hand, nothing he can do now can't be interpreted without being weary of an ulterior motive.

"Arcadios!" Hisui called out, knowing full well the knight was standing behind the door. "Come in." The doors to Hisui's room opened and a sturdy knight stepped in with honed and focused movements.

"What is the matter?" If it was a stranger listening, they would hear nothing but a professional tone, cold and unyielding. However, to the Princess or the King, they can glean concern in Arcadio's voice.

"Can I ask of you to stop Duke John's advances?" Similarly, Arcadio detected impatience from the monotone voice of the princess.

"Regrettably, my status as a knight can't prevent the Duke's actions."

"Then, can you ask of you to look into the letters beforehand? See if the contents are worth my time and handle it accordingly."

"Is it fine for someone such as myself to look into those letters?"

"Yes, anything serious is to be handed to me. The rest, dispose of them."

"As you wish." The knight bowed. "Is there anything else you need my assistance with?"

"No, may leave." As the knight was about to leave the room, Hisui's voice became softer. "Goodnight."

"Sleep well Princess, the day ahead will need rest." After the knight left, Hisui sighed again.

"Unfortunately." The Princess added before the lights were turned off. The same can't be said of Hisui. Now lying on the bed, she thought of the duties as a Princess. She's a figurehead, responsibilities are close to a mountain. But, she's a human, her desires are bottomless, most of them locked away deep in her heart, buried under the mountain. Only the combination of solitude and the tranquillity of night can pick away at the mountain. Tonight, dealing with liars was unearthed. Growing up as a Princess, flowery words were shoved into her ears day in and day out; actors of the insidious variety challenged her patience; hollow pleasantries searched for her weaknesses. The biggest sin is making her play in their game, meeting greed with deceit. Of course, all of HIsui's interactions aren't filled with malice, they just tend to leave superficial impressions compared to the valleys by the ones that are. One turn on the bed dispelled the thoughts, letting weariness rein.

Waking up is when Hisui is the most venerable, letting out a yawn without a care in the world. She reluctantly dressed up and walked out the room to meet the world. The servants greet her like bees attracted to nectar. Hisui doesn't blame them, they're only trying to keep their job. Who Hisui is about to meet however, isn't in such a position. Hisui walked steadily to the throne room with slow and hard steps. When she arrived, the extravagant throne nor the priceless decorations gathered her attention. But a well-fed, man wearing luxurious clothing kneeling at the throne. The mud hair swept behind his head accelerated Hisui's footsteps, heels clicking on the marble floor. Hisui stopped at the throne as well, looking up, she could she a short man wizened with age, yet dignity was brimming from the figure.

"Good morning father, I hear you have business with me?"

"Hisui, good morning. You're not mistaken, I need you to visit Duke John's manor and attend to a party celebrating his younger brother's birthday. I have other matters to take care of."

"Good morning Princess, I trust you've read my letter? I will be acting as your escort for the journey." John humbly said, his eyes roamed from Hisui's bosom to her legs.

"I understand father, when do we leave?" Hisui ignored John's crooked nose, fat lips, lustful blue eyes and turned to face her father.

"Before that, I have some private matters to discuss. Can you leave us John?"

"As you wish." The duke bowed and left the throne room.

"Father! You know I have no desire to go with that…oaf!"

"I'll excuse your language this time, your anger is justified. But dear, I hope you understand," The king dropped the act and became a father without the presence of anyone else. "you will need to deal with people like him in the future."

"I understand but, I feel so disgusted!" Toma's helpless expression was overlooked by Hisui that was staring at the ground.

"I'm sorry but, the Duke is a powerful figure that we can't just brush off. I'll make it up to you, just follow through with my selfishness, for the sake of the kingdom."

"I understand…" Hisui gripped her arm in defeat and walked solemnly out of the throne room, not aware of the regretful look on her father's face.

Hisui didn't even walk ten steps away from the throne doors when Duke John walked over in an over-friendly manner.

"Princess, tell me, what did you think of my letter?"

"It was lovely." Hisui said in her a tone fitting of a Princess.

"Is that so!? As expected of that ma—my genius knows no bounds after all, you can expect more letter from me soon."

"I look forward to it." The Duke didn't let up, growing bolder with each step they took. It was a race, whether Hisui can find Arcadios before her patience snaps. Luckily, the knight was sparing with three palace guards. "Arcadios, we'll be leaving for Duke John's manor, get prepared to leave."

"Understood." The knight that wasn't sweating left his practice sword to the guards that heaving and sweating profusely. He became a barrier between John and Hisui, his bulky armour blocking the Duke's view of Hisui's shapely body. Even when they were on the carriage, Arcadios sat next to Hisui with the Duke sitting on the opposite side. Under Arcadios's protection, Hisui was allowed the time to calm her emotions and prepare herself what she refers to 'The Twin Pigs'

* * *

Hisui was forced to take John's sweaty hands when alighting the carriage, shuddering when he rubbed her palms, making her thankful for her choice in wearing gloves.

"My brother was looking forward to your visit Princess, you left quite an impression on him last you came."

"You flatter me, I only did my duties as the Princess."

"Regardless, I'm thankful for you taking your time to participate in my brother's party" John left out an arm for Hisui to grab on to. She took it, feeling her fingers sink in his arm. Arcadios walked behind the two, making sure that the Duke couldn't do anything beyond that. "Then, let's go in, I'm sure you can hear the music already." Hisui couldn't, she blocked out all the excess sound long ago while cursing the man to death ever since the journey started.

Mundane was Hisui's first impression. It was like watching a child trying to be like an adult and failing horribly. They certainly tried to replicate the luxury of banquets and parties held by the royal family, with food cooked by professional chefs and high-class decorations, statues made of ice, lighting was passable. The people attending was a bunch of dull dogs that wags their tails to any resemblance of superiority. Hisui recognised many of these mutts and made an effort to stay away from them, interacting with them never bore any fruit. Unless, the bitterness of grief can be considered as a fruit.

"Hisui-sama, what do you think of my brother's party?" _Dull and desperate to capture a portion of the extravagancies of our own parties._ Hisui thought with distain.

"Nicely done, I think that the servants should receive praise."

"Then, shall we greet my brother?"

"It'll be my pleasure." The two walked up to a crowd of people surrounding a tuff of brown hair that Arcadios himself could barely see. "Good day, Richard, I trust your party is going well?" John said after getting pass the kennel of dogs. Richard has a stubby nose and a smile that oozes with arrogance, pairing with the blue eyes that's glinting with malcontent, his plump body much like his brother added to the 'Pig' Hisui refers to in private.

"Perfect now that Hisui-sama is here. How have you been Princess? I believe it's been two weeks since we've talked?"

"It's as you say, Margrave Richard."

"Then how about we catch up over a cool drink?"

"Just wait Richard, I was Hisui-sama's escort."

"And I Thank You for that dear brother. And as you can see, Hisui-sama has left your side. There is no need to stay together no?"

"You ungrateful little…" John's anger leaked out but was quickly tempered. "Very well, Hisui-sama, I hope I can have the honour of being your escort once more."

"Thank You for escorting me." Hisui watched with relief as John blended with the crowd; annoyance struck back upon hearing Richard's next words.

"Now with my brother gone, shall we go share a moment together?"

"Let's." Hisui put on another deceitful smile and followed Richard.

"How did you find my letters Hisui-sama?"

"Letters?"

"The ones I sent you."

"My apologies but, I only received your brother's letters." Richard gritted his teeth at the new information.

"No wonder I never received your replies." Richard huffed. "No matter, let me make it up to you now." Richard reached into his pockets and pulled out a white envelope.

"This is?" Hisui asked after receiving the letter.

"My letter I was planning to send. However, hearing word of your visit, I decided that it'll be better for me to hand it to you myself."

"Thank You very much." Hisui said as she handed to envelope to Arcadios. "I'll be sure to read it after I return home."

"Hisui-sama!" The appearance of John's voice announced the pigs being together again. "My parents would like to—"

"A fire broke out in the kitchen!" A chef busted open a door and delivered the troubling news. "Please evacuate the manor at once!" The next few seconds was total chaos, the doors acted as funnels with aristocrats rushing to leave, separating Hisui from her knight. A hand grabbed Hisui with enough force to jerk her person one way.

"This way Princess!" The voice said. Hisui couldn't get a good look at the person that was dragging her towards a door, only that the person had striking pink hair and the suit was put on hastily.

"Where are we going?" Having visited the manor before, Hisui knew that this wasn't the exit.

"To the fire."

"Are you insane!? Release me at once!"

"No way, you're safest with me. In a fire that is." The doors to the kitchen was kicked open by the strange man, revealing the wall of flames that threatened to burn Hisui's dress. She tried to get out of the man's grip but ended up slipping on the floor. She was caught before anything could happen to her. "Just trust me." With the sound of swallowing something, the fires were being sucked into the man's mouth. "That was some pretty good fire!" The area they were in already cooled down significantly now that the fires were eaten, leaving nothing to the imagination as to the identity of Hisui's 'savior' "Are you alright?"

"What are you doing here? Natsu-san?"

"We'll talk later. I need to get you away from here. It might be a bit rough so hang on." Natsu swept Hisui off her feet jumped out of the window in one, smooth motion. Under the rapid decent of the two, Hisui could do nothing but grab onto Natsu's neck and scream. "Was that too sudden? Sorry, I had to get you out of there." Natsu said, having his feet touch the ground.

"What's the meaning of this!?"

"We were hired by our client to sneak in that building and grab some records." Natsu waved around a thick stack of documents.

"What do you mean? 'We'? Who hired you?"

"Some bigshot noble. And my team of course!" Natsu replied with a sun-like grin.

"Then why did you need me to leave the building?"

"Well, we were told that you would be inside this building, and our client told us to protect you at all costs. Also," A huge explosion came from within the manor. "That was going to happen."

"Who is your client? Can you disclose that information?"

"Some strange guy call Atmo."

"I never heard of that noble." Hisui thought about the name for a bit and soon, relief got hold of her. "What was that sound earlier?"

"You sure ask a lot of question, are all Princesses like this?"

"Just answer the question!"

"Fine, fine sheesh! That was Erza breaking into the basement."

"Can I ask you one last question?"

"As long as you don't ask another one."

"What was the entire job description?"

"Get this record, seize the drugs down in the basement."

"Drugs?"

"I knew you were going to ask another one!" Hisui's face had a healthy tinge of red upon realising what she had done. The laughter from Natsu only made it worse, deepening the blush. "I was just joking! Anyway, Atmo said that these drugs enhance your strength, apparently, they were banned so he asked us to seize them."

"Natsu!" A blue cat flew to Natsu's shoulders. "You didn't do anything reckless did you? Like jumping out of a window with the Princess?"

"O—of course not right Hisui?" Seeing the sweating dragon slayer got the Princess to be a bit mischievous to her saviour.

"He did, I was scared half to death!"

"See, I knew you would do something stupid! Stupid Natsu!"

"Who you're calling stupid? Stupid!"

"Those who call a person stupid is stupid!"

"Then you're stupid as well you bastard!" The two pulled on each other relentlessly. Cheeks to whiskers, hair to fur, tolerance to friendship. Speechless at what to do Hisui could only watch as the two friends introduced light punching in their squabble.

"Umm…"Hisui spoke meekly, not really been in this situation before. "Can you two—"

"It's all because of you!" The cry was fierce, filled with rage, Natsu and Happy didn't recognise the voice, HIsui did. Looking in the distance, Hisui saw John and Richard tied together, with a shirtless man and a busty blonde in shorts and a T-shirt watching over the two nobles. "She would have been mine!"

"Like hell!? You just took the credit for my letters!"

"You hired someone else to so it anyway!" Hisui listened to the two people in an argument and turned back to the wizard and cat combo.

"Natsu-san?"

"Bwat wis iss?" Natsu replied, cheeks the shape of a canoe.

"First, can you two stop?" The two stopped and turned their heads away from each other like a child throwing a tantrum. "Natsu-san, can you accompany me to see those two?" Hisui pointed to the nobles.

"Sure!"

"Thank You." They walked in silence, creating nothing to stop the abusive language from entering their ears.

""Hi—Hisui-sama!"" Both John and Richard stopped once they saw Hisui walking to them, eyes burning with anger yet, looking colder than ice. Accelerating heartbeat, unstable eyes, incoherent flapping of the tongue, the two nobles resemble nothing of their titles once they saw the scowl on HIsui's lip.

"Hisui-sama!" John spoke first. "Thank goodness you're here! These ruffians accused us of drug trafficking and tied us up. My fair lady, please punished these fools!"

"Yes, yes!" Richard spoke next, sounding just as desperate as his brother. "We've been framed! HIsui-sama, just say the words and these commoner wi—"

"What have you two been doing behind father's back?" The eyes that gazed into their souls, a voice so cold, it left no room for argument. Being scrutinised like this, John and Richard's squirming turned tame.

"It's…it's not like th—that…"

"Answer the question." Hisui held out a hand to Natsu, to which he stared blankly at the gesture. Happy however, took the document in Natsu's hands and handed it to HIsui. "Thank You." HIsui flipped and scanned the documents, leaving the nobles confused as to what the Princess is doing. That is, until they realise what she was reading. They became barbarians on death's door, casting caution away and going straight for the Princess's life, rushing toward, not minding the ropes that prevented arm movements. The Princess simply kept reading, a part of her wanted to run, the other part held hope and trust to someone helping her. The area around her spiked in temperature and sparks followed, creating groans from the two nobles.

"Gray! What kind lousy job did you do with these ropes!?" Natsu shouted at the shirtless man, hands still lit ablaze.

"I didn't tie them! Lucy did!"

"At least cage them with your ice! Though, being as weak as they are, I'm not surprised that you didn't!"

"You want a taste first-hand!?" Gray said, getting into position, magic circle already forming.

"Try it!"

"Not when the Princess is around!" The blonde exclaimed, calming the two.

"Natsu! Gray! You two didn't do anything while I was gone right?" A redhead in armour called out, tugging a giant cart like it was nothing.

"Erzaaaa!" Seeing a blue blur flying to the newcomer was enough to freeze Natsu and Gray in place. "Listeeen, Natsu and Gray was about to fight in front of the Princess!" And their squirming began, much like the unconscious nobles on the ground before.

* * *

Hisui's shoes clacked on the ground with amazing presence, all the servants moved out of the way without making eye contact to Hisui's eyes pointed to the throne door. Alone, Hisui entered the throne room.

"Ah, you're back." Toma said. His tone lacked any authority, it was their rare moment just between father and daughter.

"Father, or do you prefer Atmo?" Hisui's playful eyes made the king broke eye contact bashfully.

"So you found out."

"Natsu-san is pretty loose-lipped." Hisui said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I expected as much."

"Why didn't you tell me!? You don't trust your own daughter?" Toma quickly faced her daughter.

"Of course not! I couldn't risk being eavesdropped, I've been spying on those brothers for a while now, they rose to power far too quickly. Once I found out what they've been doing, I hired those wizards. Coincidentally, Richard was holding a birthday party, it was the perfect time to search through the manor."

"So I was the decoy…"

"Please understand, I did it for the sake of the kingdom and in a sense, I did it for you dear." Hisui stood without replying, looking at her feet. Hisui met her father's eyes again, sighing before speaking.

"I understand, at least I have two less people to deal with."

"Hisui, I have another task for you."

"And that is?"

"You've been studying for a long time, I think it's time to put what you learned to the test."

"Father! You're not retiring already are you? It's too early for me to succeed!" Toma chuckled as his daughter's immediate reaction.

"Don't worry, I know that the responsibility is too great for you now. If anything, I would prefer you ruling this land with someone you love." Toma smiled fondly, looking pass Hisui and through time. He ignored Hisui's shy face and continued. "I'm having you see over a town."

"Which one?"

"Magnolia."

"But that's where Fairy Tail is!"

"It wouldn't be a test without a challenge." Toma smirked. "I'm sure you know of their ahh, destructive tendencies, and they are a rowdy bunch. Besides, you're interested in them no? Think of it as a break from the forgery." To Hisui, this was a major turning point, to be able to look at town she's never been before. Buried emotions ruptured, it didn't take long for a response.

"I'd love to!" Seeing his daughter's bright smile, Toma knew this was the right choice.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! What do you think of my new story?**

 **I'm writing this story because I want to focus on the more serious side of being a royalty, the development of the a land, managing resources, etc. Always found it strange that not many people decided to write about Hisui's duties as a Princess.**

 **However, I expect this story to be tricky to write, these things can get complicated really quickly. That's why I'm hoping that you guys will let me know if you think I did anything wrong or strange. For example, I might write too much fluff and not anything to do with the story, hopefully I can have a good balance. I'm way out of my comfort zone. But that's what improving is about right?**

 **Until then, hope you enjoyed, have a good day!**


	2. Chapter 2: The New Mayor

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

The residents of Magnolia were concerned, their mayor just announced retirement. Not surprising, considering the age of the man. What was creating this uncomfortable shroud of uncertainty was that that rumors about the new mayor knows nothing about their lively and unique town. This is the crux of the unnerving atmosphere, merchants shuffled their wares restlessly, residents would look at the town hall with a hawk's eye, holding suspicion to anyone that walked in—the new mayor was to be announced there. The only people to be unaffected was, the children, running blissfully, dragging their worrying parents away from the building of interest. Only an hour left to the revealing of their new leader.

Hisui was on the second floor of the town hall, curtains closed, leaving a slit just enough to see the unsettling attention to the building but not enough, to have the citizens see Hisui. She placed her cup of tea down on a coffee table and looked at the sweating figure of the retired mayor.

"You seemed to be well loved by the people here Wilber-san, it'll be hard to get everyone's acceptance."

"My…my most sincere apologies Hisui-sama." The man bowed profusely, head touching the coffee table.

"Raise your head, that is a good thing. Regrettable that I can't reward you more than I already did."

"No such thing!" The man paled at his actions and somehow pressed his head deeper to the table. "T—to be able to have a peaceful life with my family in the capital is a good enough reward."

"But still, what a task father pressed against me."

"If—if I may, I believe that Hisui-sama shouldn't worry too much, I can say with confidence that you are a well-loved figure in this city."

"That's good to hear. Well, I suppose I should start by getting Fairy Tail's approval."

"What do you mean?"

"Fairy Tail is the pride of this town, if the guild shows no hostility to me, then a good deal of people should follow."

"I still believe that Hisui-sama is…worrying too much."

"Let's hope so." The doors opened, a maid stepped in the room with elegance.

"Princess, it's time to get ready." The maid announced.

"I'll be there soon." Hisui rose from her seat. "Wilber-san, I'll do my best to succeed your role."

"I pray for Magnolia's prosperity. I know Hisui-sama can do it."

* * *

Even the rowdy guild of Fairy Tail wasn't unshaken by the fact of a new mayor. Different the normal chatter, serious discussions are sprinkled throughout the smashing of mugs and slamming of tables.

"Hey Luc-chan, what do you think about the news?" A petite girl with blue hair asked her friend, eyes never leaving the book she was holding.

"I can't say for sure, we can't really just go on the rumors." The one replying was blonde toying with her hair. "I mean, some rumors say the new mayor isn't even human, but a giant. Levy, what _can_ I say about this?"

"That's true." Levy said, flipping over a page. "I hear that it's a perverted man."

"That'll be a problem…"

"Yup." They turned to the loud noise created from a broken wall.

"At least someone is unaffected."

"I envy Natsu at times."

"Why would you envy the stupid Natsu?" A new voice chimed in, one that belonged to Natsu's partner.

"Happy!" Lucy exclaimed. "When did you—"

"Natsu told me to stay out of his fight with Gray, so I came here for a shield."

"Me!?"

"Aye. Lucy is heavy so, a stay icicle shouldn't hurt too much." Lucy grabbed the flying cat and pinched his cheek, treating them like dough, pulling them to their limit.

"I'm not heavy, you useless cat!"

"Sorry!"

"You better be!"

"Happy! What did I say about telling a girl that she's heavy?" A girl with short white hair commented with a displeased face.

"Lisanna, you're on a break?" Levy asked, seeing that her friend isn't holding a serving tray or any mugs.

"Yup!"

"What do you think about the new mayor?"

"Isn't it fine if he or she helps the town grow?"

"Even if it's a pervert?"

"Well…that's a bit…be—besides those are just rumors I don't think anyone but the retired mayor knows who the new mayor is."

"But isn't it fun to guess at who it might be!?"

"Le—Levy, I think you're influenced by your books."

"N—no I'm not!"

"I don't know about that." Lisanna nudged Levy in the ribcage.

"Happy!" Natsu shouted, wounds being tended by Wendy, a child that's tied her blue hair to twin tails. "Let's go check out the new mayor!"

"What about your fight with Gray?"

"Erza got in the way. So, you want to go or not?"

"Aye sir!"

"Natsu, I'm coming too!" Lucy announced.

"Sure! Let's all go together!" A large part of the guild rallied under the grin of Natsu, following him to the town hall. "I think they're starting soon, let's get front seats!"

* * *

Hisui, now in an expensive green dress that only left the arms exposed was getting ready for her speech as the new mayor. A good amount of people was staring at empty podium set up on the stage, trying to gather information, some were guessing the mayor's height with the microphone's position. Others were raising the noise levels in the hall with mindless chatter. Fairy Tail members were the majority of the latter. The old mayor stepped on the podium. Flashes from the media were setting off like fireworks.

"Thank You all for coming here and sharing my retirement with me, it was an amazing experience to have to opportunity to serve you and act as your spokesman. I still remember the day I became mayor of this town, I was nervous, wondering what to do with this town, especially with the folks at Fairy Tail. Flash forward twenty years and here I am, ready to hand my position to new blood.

"Knowing that I'm retiring now, I have regrets of what I could have done yet, proud at what I accomplished. At least, let me share these words with you: Thank You so much for supporting me in what I've done in the past two decades." As Wilber left, cheers exploded in the hall, words of gratitude, cries of sadness everyone had their own ways of saying goodbye, and at the same time, they had the same. Following the Fairy Tail members, everyone in the town hall, along with people that aren't, thrusted one hand in the air, the index finger higher than the rest.

After waiting for the hall to quiet down, Hisui finally stepped out drawing gasps and questions as to why the Princess of their kingdom is here. Each step refined and emanating authority, they left everyone speechless as much as they are confused. Like a video on pause, they waited for a signal to move again,—Hisui opening her lips.

"Good morning everyone, I'm sure all of you are wondering why I'm here." Starting from those words, people began to move, flashes continued. "I will the new mayor of Magnolia, I look forward to be working with you." Hisui waited for the roaring of her audience to die down before saying anything again. "My goal is simple: To make this town prosper. When father told me to become the mayor of this town, I was stunned much like you are. How am I supposed to do that? I ran that question through my head more times than I could count.

"That's until, I remembered what happened at the Grand Magic Games. One guild stood out, more than any other. The bounds they have for each other, their unified hearts, their determination to prove that they are still the best guild in the lands. Fairy Tail isn't strong because of one person, likewise, I can't become a good leader by myself. I'm still inexperienced, still naïve, still young. I need your help.

"When I was looking the report of this town, I saw an opportunity to improve it. We have everything we need to do it. All that is left, your cooperation. With your help, I believe I can make this place better. I won't go into too much details now. Just know, I plan to make Magnolia a better place." To Hisui's surprise, she was received much better than expected, the cheering wasn't at the level of when Wilber left the podium, it was more than enough to firm Hisui's resolve to not let these people down.

While the doors funneled people out, Hisui walked down to the group of Fairy Tail wizards. Hisui looked at each member carefully, picking out the right kind of person.

"Erza-san, can I ask of you to guide me around town? I just arrived, so I need get a good look at the city."

"I'll be honored to."

"Erza, can I come as well? I'm bored." Natsu asked.

"That isn't for me to decide."

"Then," Natsu turned to Hisui. "can I come along?"

"I don't see why not, please do."

"By the way, where's that big guy in the armor?"

"Arcadios?"

"Is that his name? We'll go with that. Yeah, where is he? I normally see him stick to you like glue." A gauntlet strung Natsu right on the head.

"Natsu! You're being rude."

"Erza, it was a simple ques—"

"Natsu!"

"It's fine Erza-san, I don't mind."

"Then, where do you want to go?"

"First, I want to see the poorest part of the city. Can you take me there?"

"That'll be the edges of the city. Natsu, stay behind the Princess, I don't think that anyone is dumb enough to try anything if I'm guiding, I don't want to take chances."

"Happy, we get to be knights!" Natsu straightened his back to look as knightly as possible, holding one arm loosely to his head, saluting to no one in particular.

"Aye! Happy said copying Natsu.

"Natsu, we're not here to play!"

"It's fine Erza-san, I don't get opportunities like this back in the palace. Also, Natsu-san, the salute is like this," Hisui showed a proper salute to Natsu and Happy. "the arm is straight, it looks sturdier like this right?"

""Yes ma'am!"" The two bursts in laughter, striking different poses, mistaking samurais and knights. Hisui giggled at their antics as Erza guided them to the poorer parts of the city.

* * *

The buildings are all wooden constructions, with no gaps in between each one. The streets were narrow and dirty. Adults sat on doorsteps, playing card games. Children ran around, kicking a ball that has seen years of use. Smile could still be seen. That was what Hisui noticed first. Although the houses here are smaller, cheaply constructed, Hisui could still see smiles.

"I assume these people are barely living off their wages?"

"Yes, their work shifts are long too." Erza replied. "But they still live good lives, the community here is strong." Hisui was about to ask when she saw lots of people sharing items, buckets, mops and other household items. "The people you see here are too poor to afford higher education, so they can't go for higher paying jobs."

"Natsu-niichan!" A group of kids ran out from their homes and coordinated a tackle at Natsu and Happy.

"It's Erza-neechan!" Another group of kids rushed to the stalwart Erza.

"These are orphans, one way or another, they don't have parents to take care of them, the guild uses some money to make sure they can keep living. Natsu is among the people that spends the most money on raising these children." Erza explained, petting the head of kids no older than five. Hisui was watching the kids play with Natsu and Happy, tugging on them, reporting what they've done for the past few days. She walked forward to Natsu that was surrounded by kids. She knelt down on the floor, not minding the dress or the sting the hard, cobble bricks created.

"Natsu-san, can you introduce me to these children? Erza-san, can you do the same?"

"Sure! Listen up, I brought you the Princess along with me! Isn't that cool?" Cries of admiration escaped the children's lips.

"Can you tell me your dreams?"

"I think I'll end it for the day after I go to your guild, I have some things to discuss with your Master." Hisui said, just leaving the slums, glad at what she saw back there, giving her more ideas on how to improve the situations of the poor. They walked along road to Fairy Tail, Hisui ignored the stares she was getting—having gotten used to them long ago. What Hisui wasn't ignoring, was the state of the city. The buildings and people. They were especially interesting to observe, a soup of emotions entered Hisui's eyes, all the while she was applauding Fairy Tail's influences. Everywhere Hisui looked, she could see at least one symbol of the guild; T-shirts, hats, keychains and other merchandise related to the strongest guild. The buildings, some of them were old, but Hisui noted that most of them were new.

Standing at the guild door, Hisui admired the exterior design of the building. From the roof all the way down to the outdoor café, each part matching the 'Overdoing' nature they were known for. Erza opened the door, Natsu announced their return, Hisui got a good look at the interior of the guild.

"We're back!" Natsu took off at full speed, charging to Gray. "Let's finish what we started this morning!"

"Mira, can you guide Hisui-sama to Master's office? I need to stop those two."

"No problem." A woman with long white hair took Hisui by the hand and pulled her to a room. "Sorry for treating you like this, I can't risk having you get loss when Erza goes wild."

"Please don't mind it."

"What do you think of our guild?"

"It's lively. Is it always like this?"

"All year around, if you'd like, come by around sometimes."

"I will."

"Here we are." Mirajane stopped at a red door with a door plate that says, 'Please knock' "I'll go back to my duties, I hope we can talk again." The barmaid waved as she vanished in the crowd of people. Hisui knocked twice.

"Come in." The doors silently opened and Hisui walked inside the office.

A wall of bookshelves crammed full of book and file stood at the back, in front, was a long work desk packed with more files and documents. Two chairs were placed at the door and two more was facing the occupant of the desk. The room was well lit with bright lights shooting down from above.

"What do you wha—Hisui-sama!?"

"Good afternoon Master Makarov, I hope I'm not bothering you."

"Not at all! The tiny man hurriedly stashed a magazine in a drawer before Hisui could get a good look at what the guild master was reading. "Please take a seat." Once Hisui was seated, Makarov breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No—nothing! Anyway, is there anything I can help you with?"

"About that, do you think you can arrange a room for me to stay in? I heard from Erza-san that she's staying at a place called Fairy Hills. Do you think you can allow me to stay there even though I'm not a member of your guild?"

"Is it about the safety of this city?"

"Partly, the crime rate in Magnolia is the low because of pressure Fairy Tail has, so I'm not too worried about thieves. Granted, there is a chance that someone could be hired, that's why I think that Fairy Hills is the safest place for me to stay in. However, that's not the main reason why I want to stay there."

"There's another one?"

"It's a childish one, one spawning out of envy. I want friends to talk with." Makarov's expression turned serious and nodded. "Ever since I was a child, no one was close to me besides my parents. The rest, were servants and guards that won't meet me eye-to-eye. I remember when I was sneaking out the palace, I saw the maids gossiping with each other, they looked so happy. Being a Princess is lonely, even now, I only have a few guards and servants I'm close with, even then, they can't cross the barrier."

"I see…to be so close to people to talk to yet…I'll see what I can do."

"Thank You for going with my selfish actions."

"Don't apologize, selfish is being human, it's only natural to have desires, I hope we can fulfil the other ones too."

"That's…"

"Am I wrong? You're hiding more inside." The petite man started to write a letter. "That can come later."

"You're just like my father, he sees through everything like you."

"That's just me being a worried grandfather." Makarov laughed as he handed Hisui a letter. "This should get you in, do you need help with the luggage?"

"No, I brought my most trusted maid with me."

"I assume she's also your guard?"

"Yes."

"That's good."

"Can you do one more thing for me?"

"That is?"

"How much money is loss in repair damage? As the person in charge of this city now, I want to know how much money is used in repairs. When I was walking through the city, some houses look new, some old. It was inconsistent, with no planning at all. So, I assumed that the new ones came off the repair compensation. Though I'm a mayor in title, father gave me more power than that, I think I can help you." With teary eyes, the elderly man asked.

"Will you listen to my troubles?" With a slow nod, Hisui became glad that she decided to finish her tour another time.

* * *

With her business done with Fairy Tail, Hisui made her way back to the town hall where her maid was waiting. Her pace was slow, as her thinking overruled everything else. She decided her first contribution should be to secure the future generation, they were innocent, as Hisui once was, they dreamed without caring if it was obtainable or not. Hisui will provide that chance, first comes the matter of financial ability of Magnolia.

"Everything is ready Hisui-sama." A fair-skinned maid with black, shoulder-length hair spoke up, chocolate eyes showing no uncertainty. In her right hand, was a stack of documents, the other was firmly gripped onto two bags.

"Thank You Karie, we're changing places to stay, follow me." A small smile formed on the maid's lips as she followed her master.

"I must thank them, they're doing something I can't."

"You just won't."

"I'm afraid my position won't allow it."

"Same with Arcadios."

"Arcadios-sama is different from me milady."

"Friends sure are hard to find."

"That's what make them precious."

"Then why can't you?" The maid stayed silent, towing the luggage along the stone road.

"May I speak my mind?"

"Please." Having seen Karie becoming honest so suddenly, it drove Hisui's curiosity, she replied on the fly.

"Aren't we already friends?"

"Huh?"

"I believe we have a misunderstanding, what I mean by something I can't do is speaking freely without reserve, those wizards can, I can't, I might lose my job if I say something that can be misinterpreted by others. Hisui-sama, I think you're not aware that most friends are made without having to confirm each other's relationships, it happens naturally." Hisui then pouted slightly.

"How am I supposed to know? I have so few…"

"Then I believe that Hisui-sama should make some more, his majesty sent you here isn't just because he wanted to test you."

"Easier said than done."

"If quantity doesn't work, try quality."

"That isn't so simple."

"You have one right here don't you?" Karie pointed to the building that was coming to view. "And you have more over there."

"Since when were you so sassy?" Hisui turned around to meet her new-found friend.

"You don't sound like a very good friend Hisui-sama," Karie's lip turned to a full grin complete with dimples. "from the very start."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Glad to see that this story is getting some traction .**

 **One mayor thing I'd like to address, let me know if the way I write Hisui's actions in the future—her the difference between her business attitude to the casual one is so extreme, that it seems like she has two personalities. I'm writing the next chapter now, and it feels like it. Do let me know what you think.**

 **I really don't have much things to say this time, only: Hope you enjoyed! Have a great day!**


	3. Chapter 3: First Steps

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Crossing an arch with 'Fairy Hills' written on it, Hisui and Karie looked at their new home they're going to be staying in. The white porch clashing with the orange brick corners made Hisui wonder if the porch had a history behind it. The walls of the building were white with plenty windows doing the finishing touches. Hisui knocked on the door while Karie leaned the luggage against the wall.

"Who is it?" Erza's voice responded to Hisui's calls.

"Hisui." The doors opened and revealed Erza wearing pajamas with a towel wrapped around her head.

"Sorry about my appearance, what do you need?" Hisui handed the letter to Erza. "Welcome to Fairy Hills." Erza smiled, tearing the letter without even reading it. "Who is this?"

"My maid, Karie."

"Then I'll prepare two rooms, just wait in the lobby." The doors widened, allowing the two to come in. While Hisui and Karie was looking at the lobby, Erza was filling out a form before taking out four keys from a drawer. "Here you go," Erza handed each of the new residents a key to their room and a key to Fairy Hills. "the larger one is the key to the dorms and the smaller one with a number is your room key, if you lose a key, you'll need pay two thousand Jewels for each key lost. I'll show you around after we've put after your things." Erza took one luggage and walked down a corridor. "Don't forget to take off your shoes and put them in the rack."

"You seem excited Hisui-sama. Is living in a dorm that fun of an idea to you?" Karie asked, picking up the remaining luggage before following their guide.

"A bit…"

"I'm glad you're finally away from that suffocating place, I was worried it'll affect your growth."

"I'm not a child anymore Karie."

"Old habits, old habit, I've been taking care of you since you were a child."

"You're only six years older than me!"

"More than enough to take care of a Princess that snuck out of the palace."

"You knew?"

"Why else did you think it was so easy?"

"I thought that was Arcadios."

"I only asked him to keep a close eye on you."

"You two," Erza stopped at two doors labeled different numbers. "these are your rooms, you'll find a bathroom and a bedroom. Though, only a basic one."

"Thank so much Erza-sama, can you show me the kitchen? Hisui-sama hasn't had anything to eat yet."

"No problem. If you don't mind, what happened? It's quite late already."

"We were talking about the damage repairs your guild has to compensate for." Hisui deadpanned.

"As ashamed as I am to admit it, I agree that we go too far at times."

"A bit too much. More than thirty percent of the guild's earning goes towards large scale damage repairs, smaller scale ones are compensated via the job rewards. From what your Master is saying, I roughly guessed that around fifty percent of your personal job earnings are deducted on an average job you all take due to paying back the damage you all caused. Am I wrong?"

"We—well, from personal experience, I say that twenty percent of my pay is used up for repairs."

"That's because I hear that Erza-san is more responsible than others. For trouble makers like Natsu-san or even Gildarts-san are close to sixty, Gildarts-san has the worst of sixty-five percent of his earnings deducted if his job requirement if near civilization. Thankfully, most, if not all his jobs are further away from people. It's unfathomable that Fairy Tail loses so much money."

"Hisui-sama, I believe that we should have our meal, worrying about the past won't do us good. If I may, I believe that looking for a solution is the correct choice."

"Master Makarov has been thinking of an idea for years, same with his predecessors, what can I do? Everything needs a balance, I can't be extreme on one side and forsake the other. And besides, since I'm the mayor now, it's my duty to help to livelihood of my—" A complain from Hisui's stomach stopped her rant all together.

"Hisui-sama, I believe that is our signal to eat, Erza-sama, can you take us to the kitchen first? I'm afraid the rest of the tour will have to wait."

"Karie, I'm fine, we can see the rest of the building first."

"As your guardian, I can't let that go back, his majesty gave me permission to stop your actions if they come at a cost of your wellbeing, and I believe that this covers what he has said. A shower and a good rest will follow, no objections, I'm speaking as your friend and not your servant, no matter how old you get, you still manage to make me worry."

"Then I have no choice…Erza-san I apologise for my behaviour just now, please show us the kitchen."

"The kitchen is downstairs, follow me."

A day of rest proved to be beneficial for Hisui. Now wearing a pair of Gale-Force Reading Glasses and sitting in her office—where Wilber used to work—Hisui was reading the past financial reports for the last twenty years or so, observing the growth of the city as time goes on. Hisui was shocked to find within the past decade or so—after ignoring the seven-year gap—there was a spike in revenue.

Then came the expenses of the city, it was divided into four main categories, healthcare, food, infrastructure and others, all of them taking a good chunk of the revenue, the rest were minors expenditures. As with all cites housing a reputable guild, the money put into security was the lowest, next came education. Seeing education as the second lowest expenditure of the city irked Hisui to no end. While it wasn't an insignificant amount of money, Magnolia could do better. After making a note, Hisui kept pouring time in the documents related to education. Hisui's first priority was the education of the citizens. Compared to the capital, the people here aren't as educated as Hisui expected. However, that's when she found one disturbing detail, a trip to a school was needed.

"Karie, I want you to do something for me." Gone was the casual attitude and a professional tone reined. "I want you to investigate this man."

* * *

"Hisui-sama, for you to come all the way out here, we're honoured." Slim man whose expression resembles the people that Hisui had to deal with during her time in the palace, only without respect. Karie was standing at the side line, having just served tea to the two.

"Rex-san, I was reading the documents left behind by Wilber-san, and I found something peculiar. The number of highly educated people are quite low in this city isn't it?"

"Th—that's because not all people can afford it."

"Even so, there's no reason for so many people not having the chance to go to university. As the principal of this place, I'm sure you're aware that citizens can take loans from the kingdom?"

"We—well we receive a large number of overseas students and from other cities, and most of them have better grades than are lo—local ones. We can't just ignore such talent."

"I understand, the people with higher grades has a better chance at improving the kingdom."

"E—exactly. As expected of the Princess."

"Your university receives more non-local students than the others in this city, can you explain that?"

"That's…we're the most prestigious university in the entire city…it shouldn't be a surprise that we have more interested in studying here."

"Can you indulge me in a pet theory of mine Rex-san?"

"O—of course, if it benefits the city, I'll do what must be done."

"I hope that you don't mind me doing a background check on you."

"What did you say!?" Rex spilled the cup of tea he was gripping dearly onto.

"Don't worry, it's nothing beyond your basic information and the rumours on the streets." Rex shifted uncomfortably in his seat upon hearing 'Rumour'.

"Is that…true?"

"Of course, even a Princess like myself don't have rights to pry into other's private lives."

"Then, can you explain to me your theory?"

"I'll get straight to the point then, going on the rumours, you're in massive debt."

"That's…just rumours."

"Please let me finish, also, don't get worked up over the delusions of a sheltered Princess. I would imagine that the foreign students enrolling here are more well-off compared to our local students, you did boast that your university is at the apex of Magnolia. That would also make this place highly competitive. The problem is, you can't receive all the applicants, that would be too unreasonable.

"Here comes my theory and question: What if there was a better way to enrol? For example," Hisui looked at Rex straight in the eyes. "bribery." A sharp blade slashed at Rex's composure, his knees bobbed in irritation, perhaps fear seeing the cold eyes of Hisui.

"Ar—are you suggesting that I throw my school's reputation away for money!? Even if you're a Princess, I can't forgive such slander!"

"You too easy to read Rex-san. I won't even try to play dumb, yes, I am."

"You—"

"I'm not finished!" Karie realised how much anger her master had bottled inside, for someone raised in etiquette to see Hisui raise her voice, must less interrupt someone, was rare. "You must be under the impression that Princesses are like the ones in Fairy Tales and plays; they must be easy to fool. You would be eaten alive if you were a noble. Karie."

"As you wish." Karie handed Hisui a file.

"Before, I was suggesting." Hisui laid the contents of the file on a table. "Now, I'm proving." Seeing Rex's mouth agape, Hisui continued. "These are records of you receiving money in exchange of letting people enrol to your school. To be honest, I was shocked to see so many."

"Where…did you get this?"

"It seems that some students do have a sense of guilt. After having a couple of confessions, all I needed to do was do some searching to get the list you have here. One last thing, I already written a letter to the kingdom, your status as a principal, has been revoked. You can either announce your resignation or have this be published."

"I'll…announce my resignation…"

"You have a week." Hisui rose from her seat, taking the file with her. "Karie, we're giving the map a better look."

* * *

Now out of the university, Hisui was looking at a map back at her office. Everything was just as she left it, filled with documents. She compared the map to the population spread, the average income of the people living in each area, number of families and finally, the school numbers. Hisui grabbed four different colour pens and circled a few areas on the map before handing it to Karie.

"Give this to Diamond-san, tell him I want these places to have schools constructed. The red are kindergartens, blue for primary schools, yellow for high schools and black for universities. If there are any problems, have him get back to me."

"As you wish." Seeing the maid leave, Hisui stretched from the hours of sitting and saw Natsu's face pressed firmly against a window, deforming it.

"Natsu-san!" Hisui opened another window for Natsu to climb in. "What are you doing here?"

"I was checking up on you."

"Why?"

"I haven't seen you leave this boring place much. So, I came to have you go out and enjoy the town. You still haven't completed the tour, right? I'll do it."

"That can come another time, I'm busy."

"It'll be quick!"

"I don't think it would."

"Fine, I'll come later." Natsu jumped out of the window he came from, leaving Hisui to stare at the piles of paper to pour more time in. Suddenly, Natsu's offer seem more attractive. Hisui still pushed aside her personal desires and worked on bettering the lives of citizens living here. Signing something as little as permits to writing letter to companies for requests. A day or two pasted, ore letters were delivered to Hisui's table, meetings schedules, words of concern from the people, replies to Hisui's own letters. Each time Hisui sent Karie out on an errand, she would make sure to keep her head low and hide her face with paper towers. Even when eating, Hisui kept her head down, reducing her contact time with Karie as much as possible, sending her off one a job one after another.

"Princess, you ready for the tour to begin again?" Natsu invaded from the door this time.

"No, need, I have a good idea of what there is." Hisui gestured to the map on the wall.

"No fun without experiencing it for yourself." Natsu grabbed Hisui by the arm and tried to drag her out of her chair. The Princess tugged back, refusing to leave her position. The difference between honed body and not was made clear with no time at all, and the Princess was pulled to her feet. "What have you been doing!?" Natsu shook Hisui's shoulders, seeing the dark semi-circles under Hisui's eyes.

"I'm…fine."

"Stop joking around! You look worse than gramps when he's doing these kinds of things!" Having pale skin, Hisui's dark eyes were noticeable to even a man with poor eyesight, her green irises lost their bright lustre, bloodshot eyes that made her eyes look slightly pink. "You're sleeping!"

"I said I'm fine!" Natsu lifted Hisui over his shoulders and laid her gently on a couch. Hisui's tired flails only added to Natsu's determination. Feeling the cosy cushioning of the couch, Hisui's squirmed even further, Natsu's quilt-like heat was only making it worse, her eyes were struggling to stay open.

"I'll accept whatever complaint you have when you get up, for now," Natsu took off his jacket and laid it across Hisui's calming frame. "just rest, I'll have someone get something better." Natsu made the room rise to sleep-inducing temperatures, much like when someone is tucked perfectly in bed and watched the Princess surrender to her body's needs. "Sleep well, you earned it." Natsu grabbed a chair and observed Hisui drift deeper into sleep.

"Hisui-sama, we need to have a ta—what are you doing to her!" Karie, having just seen a bare-chest Natsu and her unconscious master, she pulled out a dagger from under her dress.

"Shhh. She's sleeping." Natsu placed a finger on his lips and used another to point to Hisui's bags and the blackened around her eyes.

"I…expected this but…for it to be this serious…I should have stopped her."

"Never mind that, can you get something for her? My jacket isn't great, I want her to have the best rest right now."

"Of course, I want her to rest as well." Karie hurried out the door and came back with a blanket and a pillow.

"I'll leave the everything else to you, make sure she doesn't do this after she wakes up."

"From the looks of it, she might sleep until the next day."

"That's good enough I guess, I'll tell Erza, she was worried that Hisui didn't come back for a while."

"While I'm thankful for you helping me, I still think you should hold some respect for her."

"I already do." Natsu looked at the piles of paper work Hisui had done. He smiled relaxed Hisui's serene face as appose to the one filled with duty. "Hey Kathy."

"It's Karie!"

"Don't you think that Hisui is tired of people being so distant?"

"I do."

"Then stop it, I did the same, why can't you? You know her better than I do."

"I can't, in the end, we're just master and servant. It's against what I was taught."

"Forget them, they're not worth it." Natsu closed the doors as he left, missing Karie's trembling frame. The silence was beneficial for both Hisui and Karie, one was resting. The other, was battling with herself. Rational and instinct, they tugged and changed positions as the favouring side, tormenting the maid with doubt.

"Natsu Dragneel, I owe you one." Picking up Hisui along with the blanket wrapped around her, Karie headed back to Fairy Hills.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I have another concern, I'm worried that the quality of the writing is getting worse, perhaps that's just me being paranoid, I don't know.**

 **Anyway, another concern I have is perhaps I'm not thinking deeply about this story enough? Just that most of the things I'm writing is very shallow, hopefully, either my brain will do something about it or someone will give me a good idea.**

 **My only hope is that I don't end up giving up on this story, this it tricky to write, I can't stress that enough. Mainly because I haven't written anything like this before, I find this super taxing on my skills as a writer. Worse comes to worst, I'm going to take a break to gather my thoughts.**

 **Until then, I hope you enjoyed, let me know your thoughts and, have a great day!**


	4. Chapter 4: Momentary Respite

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Hisui found herself waking up inside a pale room, with no furniture at all besides the bed she was sleeping on. The windows gave off an intense light could only be found during the most active parts of the day. Though groggy, Hisui felt like she could run a marathon, it was the best she felt in a week that she's been working as the mayor of Magnolia. Finishing her morning rituals was trivial, and the shower knocked the lingering sleep out of her system. Hisui stumbled her way to the kitchen having not familiarised herself of the layout of the building and opted for getting to know her office a lot more. Hisui found her servant washing the large pile of dishes in her usual clothing.

"Karie?"

"Hisui-sama, you're awake!"

"How long has it been?"

"Around a day and a half."

"What!? I need to get back."

"Unfortunately, Natsu-sama has requested that I forbid you from working just after you woke up."

"You don't take orders from Natsu-san, why should you listen to him?

"Hisui, I'm listening because it's the best for you. I'm not listening to him because I'm defying you, he just made me realise that formality isn't important if it comes at the sake of growing cold with you. That's why, as your friend, and someone that knows you, I won't let you go back until you rest for another day, we know what's going to happen if you keep this up, her highness should have taught you that lesson.

"Her love for this country was profound, if that was her fate, I can't bear the thought of having you go down the same path, especially if your love for this kingdom is perhaps greater than Caroline-sama's. Please understand, his majesty wouldn't want to see his daughter leave before him."

"You're not being fair…bringing mother and father up…"

"I'm afraid that I have no choice but to. I know that once you get into something, you won't stop."

"Can I at least do some light work? For instance, signing papers or anything along those lines. Just reading the letters that arrived will be enough, I won't do anything beyond that."

"Absolutely not, your brain will start turning about the meetings and other plans for improving the city."

"But people are expecting my replies!"

"I already sent word about your condition, please relax, they all agreed to wait for another day or two."

"Then what am I supposed to do for the day?"

"Why else did you ask to move in here to begin with? To make some friends. We'll be doing that for the day. But first, you must eat, please wait for a moment, I'll get things ready soon." Karie stacked wet plates out for dry instead of drying them. Instead, she took several clean plates, ingredients and got to work.

* * *

Hisui was walking down a road to Fairy Tail with Karie holding a parasol above the two of them. The sounds and sight of nature attracted Hisui to no end, the chirping of birds was something rare, much less seeing ground squirrels dashing across the grassy plains. Winds that weren't restrained by buildings blew freely, whipping up dead leaves as they went pass Hisui.

"I still believe that I shouldn't be under a parasol, people would think we're equals." Karie reminded Hisui of their relationship.

"You just said you don't want our relation to grow cold." HIsui pouted and pulled Karie closer to the shade as oppose to having her stand at the rim.

"My bad, old habits."

"Besides, we didn't use any protection, I would hate to see your skin get damaged from sunlight, your suitors will be sad."

"My duties comes before handling those shallow people."

"Guess it's no surprise that father assigned you to me."

"Duty before happiness…in a way, I wished that you were assigned with someone else, someone that thought the opposite."

"Then don't be so talented in combat, not only do you match me in work attitudes, you're plenty capable in warding away attacks. That's enough about this topic, you're making me think of my job."

"Then once we enter, we shouldn't have time to think of these things, seeing how rowdy the rumors are." They two were closing in on Fairy Tail's doors, no less than a few steps away.

"That's right, you haven't been inside yet." Hisui pressed her palm on the guild door. "I think this will be a good exercise on your ability to protect me, who knows when will a stray chair come for my head."

"You're joking I hope?"

"Not at all." Hisui pushed the doors open, chaos entered the two's eyes. Just by opening the door, Karie caught a wood shard flying to Hisui's direction. A full brawl was underway, compared to last time Hisui visited, that one was tame as only Natsu and Gray was fighting. One way or another, a full-blown fight occurred between groups of people.

"This is unacceptable, to target Hisui-sama, is deserving capital punishment." Karie reduced the wood shard to fibers effortlessly. "Please find safety Hisui-sama, I'll take care of this." Karie's magic power swelled as she casted her uniform to the ground, revealing a grey tank top along with a tactical vest and blue shorts. Strapped to her thighs was two daggers, glinting in their holsters. The rage-filled eye was enough for Hisui to know that she can't persuade her servant to stop. So, she sneaked past the fighting to get deeper in the guild.

To the lesser guild members, they were no matched for Karie's acrobatic movements, vaulting over backs while delivering a chop to exposed necks. The cat continued its frenzy, pulling out it's claws in the form of a wire, diving between punches and magic projectiles before tugging on the wire, capturing five people in a tight bond reinforced with Karie's magic. A flash of red followed by a sword was intercepted by Karie's dagger.

"Erza-sama!?"

"Karie? What are you doing here?" Like dragonflies, they danced through the crowds of people as they tried to understand the situation.

"Hisui-sama recovered and I brought her here to talk with the members here. However…" Karie flung a man over her shoulders. "A wood shard attacked Hisui-sama, now I'm trying to punish the fool."

"I see," Erza slammed the pommel of her sword to the person behind her. "I think we have the same goal, shall we work together?"

"Let's." Karie summoned a fan of blades, signaling Erza to do the same. When the steel was unleashed, their feelings for order caused the blades to glow and join, producing two new weapons; a dagger and a sword—both holding gaudy designs. The silver metal radiated of magic, etched and the flat of the blade, were runes. The hilts had similar appearances, gold with more runes. Erza and Karie took their respective weapons; swinging it lightly created a giant gust that blew the surrounding people away.

"I never heard of a Union Raid like this…"

"We'll investigate this later. For now,"

"Punishment!" "Retribution!"

* * *

While Karie and Erza was going wild, Hisui found a sign told the direction of a library and followed it—stepping over limp appendages to do so. The library had two levels, climbing down a ladder led to three rows of book shelves—not including the ones on the walls—each one packed with books. The level Hisui was on, had nothing but table and chairs. There, Hisui found a group of girls huddled together in a circle.

"This is the second time this week! Why does this keep happening?" Lucy whined.

"Luc-chan, the record is a fight a day. That week, Master and Erza was out." Levy pointed out.

"That doesn't make me feel glad at all!"

"Lucy, though no one else is here, we're still in a library." Lisanna warned.

"Sorry…"

"If do feel bad for Wendy though, it must be tough, to heal so many people."

"N—no, I treat it as training." Wendy explained. "I want to catch up to the others."

"You're too kind Wendy, you'll get used by people at one point."

"But…but, I can't help it…"

"Excuse me, can I ask a few questions?" Hisui spoke up, standing behind the group. They turned to the new voice.

"Hisui-sama!?"

"Please, have a seat!" Lucy exclaimed, being the first one to recover from the shock.

"Am I interrupting your talk?" Hisui asked, now seated next to Lucy and Lisanna.

"Not at all! S—so what do you what to ask?"

"How often does this happen?"

"I don't know, it seems like every day to me, Levy-chan, do you know?"

"Around once every two weeks, depends on luck."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, fights of this scale happen from a chain reaction, generally one person angering another, so it's down to luck whether we get fights like this."

"Will it calm down soon?"

"Since Erza is out there, I would say so."

"That's not the point, I want to ask something from the Princess!" Lisanna jumped in. "If that's fine with you of course."

"I don't mind."

"Then, what's being a Princess like? Is it anything like the stories?"

"If only it was…"

"I thought that it was fun." Wendy said.

"No, it's tedious. If you'd like, I can talk more on it."

"I—if it doesn't bother you."

"I guess I'll start with the people. How should I say it? You can't let your guard down at all, at least, in front of the people you can't trust."

"What do you mean?"

"Being an only child means that I'm most likely the one to inherent the throne, so lots of nobles will try to get on my good side. Of course, that isn't a bad thing, they just want to maintain their status as nobles. However, others will try to trick you in by pretending to be nice, these include the nobles that try to take my hand in marriage. They hold no affection for me at all, only the kingdom that's tied to me. Even the people that are attracted to me are looking for a wife for decoration.

"When you go into parties with people, it's not relaxing at all, you have to look into people's characters, scan for the smallest expression changes. If not, I'm afraid you might just end up being used. There is little honesty in the capital."

"That sounds terrible…" Lucy placed a hand on Wendy that was looking sympathetically at Hisui.

"Even when I'm not dealing with lies, no one will try to get close to me, everyone is weary for each other. For example, the servants won't hold a conversation with me out of fear of being accused of trying to get ahead. But, I hear them chatting blissfully when I'm not around.

"And then comes the tutoring, though things weren't as harsh as they used to be, I still remember being tutored for an entire day with little breaks. I would sneak out to get away from all the stress. If it wasn't for my parents, I wouldn't have a childhood, I would become an adult the moment I was old enough to understand the world around me. It was…so lonely…" Hisui wiped away a stray tear from her eyes. "Sorry for boring you with such a story." Wendy ran to Hisui and wrapped her small hands around her back, rubbing it in circular motion. Hisui returned the hug readily, running her hands through two streaks of dark blue hair. "Thank You, Wendy-san."

"You're welcome."

"I…I think that's enough about that topic." Lisanna interjected.

"Then, can you tell me about your guild? I think it's only fair."

"I'll start first!"

* * *

Back at the brawl, only Karie and Erza was standing. The rest were either unconscious or unable to move. Groans and curses dominated the space. Broken benches and tables could be found in the strangest of place, on a support beam, stuck to a pillar.

"As expected of the strongest female in the guild, I'm no match for you."

"I'm surprised that you could fight so well. You're not an ordinary maid after all."

"It's the weapon, my body felt lighter than normal."

"I know what you mean." Erza stared at the dissipating swords that handled flawlessly.

"I believe we should start cleaning up."

"I'm grateful. Even though this is my responsibility, you helped me more than I deserve."

"I caused some of the damage as well. Plus, we're the only ones that will." Karie pointed to the bickering Natsu and Gray, bruised but still shooting venomous words at each other. "You have some amazing people here."

"A pain for me unfortunately." Erza grabbed the pieces of furniture that looked salvageable and stacked them together while Karie swept away the ones that couldn't. It was clear that Karie was far more proficient than Erza is this regard, removing shards and blocks of wood methodically without sacrificing time. While Erza picked up the pieces that were close to her, moving to the next when one was finished. Mirajane came back from her trip to the market and helped move the wounded to the infirmary. Soon, the guild was back to what it looked like before the fight started, only with several tables and benches missing.

Karie—back in her uniform—was walking down a corridor to find her master, the pool proved to be fruitless. Kitchen; empty. Bathroom; silence. The library was the next place in mind. While Hisui wasn't an avid reader due to the lack of time, Karie knew Hisui enjoyed reading whenever she can. What she found brought a smile to Karie's lips. Hisui was laughing with a group of people, rid of her duties and letting the charming Princess shine pass the soul-stealing stares and calculating, business smile.

"Karie! You're finished?"

"With the help of Erza-sama. I trust that you had a good time?"

"More than that, everyone here is friendly."

"Then for their sake, don't push yourself too far."

"I won't, having you worry is bad enough."

"I suppose it's fine to tell you now then."

"And that is?"

"Hisui-sama's plan to construct a school on the outer edges of the city is going underway. We have yet to receive notice of the other schools however."

"That more than enough, I don't expect multiple schools to be constructed at once. If anything, I'm glad that those children can have a shot at their dreams."

"Always thinking about others huh?"

"I don't want to hear that from you!"

"I suppose not."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope that my spin on Unison Raids isn't too off putting!**

 **Anyway, this chapter was so much easier and quicker to write. I might as well take this time to explain exactly what I find hard about writing this story. There are a few things:**

 **One: I'm scared that the city building isn't deep enough for people to enjoy. Of course, I don't expect to write an actual city plan, just deep enough to show that I put some thought into the story and not use things that's stupidly obvious too much i.e. Not enough highly educated people? Just build more schools. Thinking of ways to develop the city is also a frustrating time.**

 **Two: I'm having a hard time in finding a balance in explaining parts things without making it seem like I think you guys are stupid. I personally think that most of you guys are more than capable in figuring the subtle stuff I'm throwing in here and there—one reason why I tend to avoid straight-up telling people the emotions of the characters, I expect people to figure out how angry someone is by how they speak. A time where I had to point something out is when Hisui interrupted Rex as a sign of anger to the point where she is willing to abandon her upbringing. I'm doing all this so that everyone can follow along. I read one story—not a fanfic—where I'm too stupid to understand what's happening and, the writer didn't explain too much.**

 **Three: I'm trying to balance out the interactions with Natsu and Hisui as well as Hisui's duties. It's also tricky to find an excuse for Natsu to be around Hisui in the first place but, a thoughtful person in the reviews already pointed that out.**

 **Four: I feel like I'm not taking advantage of doing a third person story enough—I'm going to point out the advantages because I'll be here all day—in my previous story with Juvia, I was able to use a first person point of view to decent effect(I think). Now, it's not the case. In fact, here's a thing you can do right now: try to imagine this story written in first person; not much will change besides a few paragraphs every chapter. That's because most of this story is in a dialogue format and dialogue between the two perspectives are(in my opinion) not that different. So, I got ways to go before I'm satisfied with this story.**

 **Now that I finished forcing my whining down your throats and turned off my entire audience; I hope that you enjoyed the chapter!** **And, have a great day!**


	5. Chapter 5: An Interlude

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

Hisui was reading an early schematic of the school she was planning to build in the slums, though small given the little space in that area, Hisui already requested it to be as big as possible. Pleased with the outcome, Hisui decided to look at the construction zone first hand. She called for her servant and soon, they were leaving for the slums.

The slums were the same as before, filthy and unorganised, outdated newspaper were tossed around; the streets smelt of stale water; the smiles were still here. Hisui found the construction site with relative ease, it was the only space that wasn't crowded with random objects strewn all over. In the middle, a group of kids were chasing after one another. The same one Hisui met on her first trip here. Supervising the kids, was a person with pink hair. He had very developed arms and his scarf left no other need for guessing the man's identity.

"Natsu-san, are you playing with these kids?"

"Of course!" Natsu grinned. "You rested up?"

"I still have yet to give you my gratitude."

"No need for that. So, what are you two doing here?"

"We're here to look at this plot of land."

"What for?"

"I'm having a school constructed here, so the children here have easy access to a school. Though, this one is a bit special for the people here."

"What do you mean?"

"For starter, the school is going to be full funded by the city, the children won't have to pay for even lunch. Any extracurricular activities will also be free."

"Cool!"

"Anyway, Natsu-san, since I have the chance, I might as well say this now. According to your Master, you are among the most destructive people in the guild, you're giving him a hard time. Do you think that you can tone down your ahh, habits?"

"I can't help it, that happens when I get pissed off."

"Then shall I teach you etiquette? I think I can do a pretty good job. For would you prefer Erza-san to teach you, according to her, you had a great time being taught by her."

"Pl—please don't tell Erza! It was a nightmare!" Seeing the dragon slayer in such a big panic, Hisui couldn't help but laugh. "You were joking!?"

"I'm sorry," Hisui stifled another laughter. "after hearing about your reactions from Lisanna-san, I had to see it for myself."

"You scared me half to death. At least I get to see you smile after so long, you really should smile more, it suits you. Not the scary one though."

"I agree with Natsu-sama, Hisui-sama is the most beautiful when smiling earnestly."

"I don't want to be like this all the time, it's my duty to do so."

"Then take more breaks, you'll end up with a head full of white hair if you worry too much." Natsu placed his hands behind his head. "Let's start right now, after you're done with whatever you're doing, come play with us!" Natsu looked at the running children fondly.

"I'm already finished. I just came here to verify the space, since there's no problems, we can build a school here."

"Great! Let's wait for them to finish."

"I've been meaning to ask for a while now but, what are these children doing?"

"Huh? They're playing tag of course, what else did you think they are doing?" Hisui looked at Karie for explanations.

"Tag is a children's game where to goal is to have to person that is 'it' to chase the other people. Once, someone is caught by touching a person, that person is 'it'."

"That sounds simple."

"Wait, you haven't played tag before!?" Natsu asked with his mouth wide open.

"No, I was too busy study for playing. Even the times where I could play was spent with my parents. Although, can we even play tag with children? Won't that be unfair?"

"That's why we're playing hide and seek." Natsu paused. "You have played hide and seek before right?"

"Yes."

"Perfect, we'll be the seekers and the brats will be the hiders."

"Does 'we' apply to Karie as well?"

"Of course! It's boring to just watch you know?" They waited for the kids to finish their game. "Guys, we're going to play hide and seek, want to play?" A bunch of nods with no denials was more than enough for Natsu. "Me, the Princess and Kathy, are going to be the seekers."

"It's Karie!"

"You guys are being the hiders."

"It's not fair!" A child shouted. "You have three people!"

"And we're dealing with twenty!" Natsu retorted.

"Fine…"

"We're going to count to a hundred. You guys close your eyes, I'm going to start counting…one, two, three, four…" The children ran away at full speed, giggling with excitement. Hisui expected for this to be boring. However, it was more enjoyable than she thought, maybe it was the fact that she could remember playing this with her parents, or the fact that she was doing something that was lacking in her younger years. Her feet sang at the activity they were getting, her mind was free from her responsibilities, and Hisui has Natsu to thank for it.

"Thanks for doing this, I know you're busy." Natsu said, waving the children away.

"No problem, it was liberating for me too, Thank You."

"Don't worry about it." Natsu grinned. "Just don't forget to rest."

"I won't, stop reminding me." Hisui huffed, turning her head away from Natsu.

"I'm just messing with you! See ya, it was fun!" Natsu ran off, kicking up dirt along the way.

"What an interesting person." Karie noted.

"Interesting indeed."

* * *

Hisui was bringing home some documents to sign, the sky dimmed, leaving a clear amber sky, quickly turning pink and purple. She was planning on staying at the office for the night when Karie announced that a press conference was to be held tomorrow, much to the disapproval and shock of the Princess. Because of this, Hisui is walking along a dirt path to Fairy Hills to make sure that she's getting enough sleep for the press conference. The residual summer heat left behind a warm breeze to float in the air, tickling Hisui's cheeks. Her footsteps hastened seeing the Fairy Hill coming closer to view. Though Hisui hasn't spent much time with her dormmates, she's been trying to make time to do so, today is the day for getting to know her dormmates better.

"Levy-san," Hisui knocked on a white door, one arm still wrapped around her documents. "I forgot to bring back a pen with me. Can I borrow yours?" The door was opened by Levy wearing a tank top and shorts. Levy frowned at the pen that was in Hisui's hand.

"You already have one."

"Well, I wanted an excuse to come in your room, I haven't done this very often, please forgive me."

"You didn't really have to do that, I don't mind. You can come in anytime you want. As long as I'm in anyway." The door widened, and Levy ushered Hisui in. Bookshelves were everywhere, not even one was empty. Even the floor wasn't spared from the books, Hisui had to make sure that she didn't step on anything as she navigated her way through the room. "You can put your stuff on my bed, what is that anyway?" Hisui had some trouble in finding a spot to put her documents on as there already was books laid in an oval.

"These are letters and things I need to sign to improve literacy in Magnolia, I was hoping to ask for your opinion on this."

"Not that I mind but, what are you trying to do so far? Besides the schools of course, those sites on the streets told me enough." Levy pulled out a chair for Hisui and sat down on one herself.

"Well, I'm planning on encouraging students to work harder by increasing the amount of scholarships we can give out, the ones given from school aren't enough. So, I thought that one's provided by us will be better. Also, I'm discussing about suitable programmes to enrol in community centres with tutors."

"Have you increased the libraries' yearly budget? I think it'll be a good idea since it'll be easier for people to find books they want to read. For example, just last week, I was in the library to look for a book that isn't on sale anymore. It's called 'Summer Strive', have you heard of it?"

"I can't say I have."

"What a shame! I totally recommend it! It's about a child trying to find his mother after they separated from a war. It might seem strange for a book set in winter to be named after summer but, after reading it, you'll understand it without a doubt! The writing was lovely! I couldn't put the book down until after I finished reading it. Though this happened with every good book I read, I feel like this one was especially amazing!"

"Can I ask what this has to do with your trip to the library?"

"Ahh! I did it again! So—sorry, it's a bad habit of mine to get side-tracked when talking about books. Anyway, I read the book when I was a child but, I lost it somewhere along the way. So, I was hoping to find it at the library but, I couldn't."

"And that's why you suggest that I increase the budget of our libraries?"

"Yup!"

"I'll see what I can do, at this rate, I need to increase our city's revenue, or chase after the people that skips on taxes."

"I don't need to have the budget increase by that much! Just ten percent will be fine!"

"Sadly, I have other things planned, if I keep pushing things, I'll be tapping into our reserves very quickly."

"Is it because our guild destroys lots of property, so you have to repair them?"

"No, your guild is forced to pay for every bit of damage you caused. Unless special circumstances happen. In fact, I would say that Fairy Tail is a huge asset to me. Do you want to guess why?"

"It is security we provide?"

"More than that."

"Then, does the fact that we're influential have to do with it?"

"To be precise, it's the people you all draw in. When I first started to tour around the city, I saw that so many people are wearing your guild merchandise. With Fairy Tail alone, you guys attracted plenty of tourists. Of course, the tax you pay is invaluable to me as well."

"And the shops around us benefit from the additional tourists!"

"That's why Fairy Tail is so important, in more ways than one."

"What else do you plan to do?"

"A secret." Hisui stuck her tongue out playfully.

"I won't tell anyone."

"Let's just say it's a huge hassle for me, but a boon for the city. By the way Levy-san, to make sure I don't overwork myself, Karie insists that I take breaks. That's why I'm planning on reading a book during that time, do you have any recommendations?" Flipping a switch Hisui didn't mean to, she helplessly watched Levy take a ladder to climb up and down her bookshelves, extracting book after book. What was shocking Hisui the most, was that Levy didn't hesitate even once to find a book she wanted. The computer came back with a stack of books in her arms.

"I recommend all of these!" Levy held up a leather-bound book. "This one if you're feeling for something romantic." Then a blue paper back one. "This is my favourite thriller." As Levy kept explaining, Hisui looked at the blurb on the back and examined the book itself, surprised at how well preserved these books are, no creased pages or any sign of yellowing on the paper.

"When should I return them?"

"Whenever you like! Don't worry about the condition of the books, I have a trick in maintaining them."

"Thank you very much Levy-san, I'll be sure to give these a read."

"Have fun! Oh, and goodnight Hisui-sama."

"Goodnight." Hisui hauled the books along with the documents she came in with to her room. The same dreary, pale room greeted her. Except, on her bed, was a box. It seemed to be packed in a hurry, the lid wasn't close fully. And it was even dropped due to the dented corner, slightly ruining the green wrapping of the box. It was the combination of no nobles but Hisui's father knowing where she lives and the fact that the box had no sender drove Hisui to open the box. A card with messy handwriting presented itself.

"Let's…hang out…again?" Hisui managed. "This is…something the kids and I got as…thanks. Natsu…Dragneel." Underneath the card, was a potted plant. The plant was just sprouting as it was no taller than Hisui's pinkie with two healthy leaves, glimmering in the moonlight, a soft, white glow. The same glow brought a warm smile to Hisui's face, she placed the plant on a window sill and watched the spectacle grow brighter without hurting her eyes. With one plant, the room doesn't look dull at all, much like how this experience shone a light on her life.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I've been trying to balance the serious stuff and the fuzzy stuff, let me know how I did. However, since I've already written up to chapter seven and writing chapter eight as of publishing this, it might take a while for me to adjust. Or it might not, it depends on how you guys think I did.**

 **That being said, I'm having a much better time writing these chapter. The thinking is largely done until I run out of ideas and then my suffering will start again. Though my writing is pretty fast right now, since school is starting in half a month, I don't know how will things fare afterwards, hopefully it won't affect me too much. If it does, at least I have a backlog right?**

 **However, the next chapter will be on the shorter side like this one, but, I still want to keep my chapters between 2k to 3.5k, it seems like a pretty good spot for not overloading people and giving them a chance to break away from reading and do something else should my story lose your interest.**

 **Until next time, I hope you enjoyed! And, have a nice day!**


	6. Chapter 6: Questioning

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

"Remind me why we're doing this press conference again." Hisui said while letting Karie pull the zip to her white dress. They were in a dressing room; the lighting was perfect for the application of her make-up. On the dresser table, a gold necklace with an emerald as the centre piece laid beside a pair of small earrings that matches Hisui's hair.

"Because," Karie started, brushing Hisu's hair thoroughly. "the reporters were too much of a hassle in asking for your interviews. So we figured that holding a press conference will be the best value of your time, to make sure you don't have to do this again anytime soon." Karie bunched Hisui's hair up to tie it into a ponytail.

"They really are making a big deal out of a new mayor." Hisui fitted the earrings while Kaire was centring the necklace.

"It's a Princess that's taking the position, it's so surprise you're garnering so much attention." Karie weaved a gold headpiece with a ruby at the middle in Hisui's hair. "You're done Hisui-sama."

"Wrong, we're alone." Hisui tilted her head to different angles.

"You have to give me time to stop doing something I been doing since I started serving you."

"A reminder will do it a good job at that."

"I suppose." Karie smiled wryly.

"In any case, I much rather continue with my work, as tedious as it is."

"But this is your work." Karie poked Hisui's cheek. "Unless you're saying that a press conference isn't one."

"Then let's get this over with." Hisui rose with an air of dignity, determined to finish the onslaught of questions from the raving masses. It wasn't Hisui's first interview or press conference, but it was one of the rare case where her father was not the main topic of interest but Hisui herself.

The instant Hisui walked in the venue, flashes already began, capturing Hisui's unwavering form and Karie that was silently tagging behind her master. Hisui adjusted the microphone to her level while looking closely at the people below, all of them holding a thirst for knowledge and desire for answers—all of which they are hoping that Hisui can provide for them.

"Good morning everyone, I'm glad to see so many people can make it to this press conference that was decided abruptly. Over the past week since I've been the mayor of Magnolia has been busy for me. So I apologise that only now, a press conference is being held. Before we get started, I would like to thank the people that has been working alongside me in making Magnolia a better place. Without these people and their experience, I would have finished my work in a less timely fashion. Thank You all for your hard work." Claps rang through the hall in appreciation for the unsung heroes. "Now, I believe that we should start what most, if not all of you have come here for. Please raise your hands if you have a question." Anemones grew instantly, fishing for knowledge in a sea of hunger. "The man with a purple tie in the second row."

"What was the reason on why you chose Magnolia to be the mayor of?"

"That was a decision made by my father, I accepted because I heard that this city is vibrant and lively. Another reason why I accepted was because Fairy Tail interested me after the Grand Magic Games. Becoming the mayor was the perfect opportunity to fulfil these personal interests of mine. The lady with glasses on the last row, what is your question?"

"Can you share your opinion on Magnolia as a city?"

"It's a lovely city to live in. The people are friendly to one another, the city itself is developed enough to satisfy your needs as a citizen. At the same time, there is enough room to improve and expansion isn't a problem due to the surrounding lands." The next to ask a question was a middle-aged man.

"There are rumours that Hisui-sama is coming to Magnolia to find a suitable suitor, can you confirm whether that is true or not?" The question itself shook Hisui slightly as she hasn't heard these rumours nor did Karie report of them. However, her professional complexion didn't change as she answered the question.

"No, me becoming the mayor has nothing to do with finding a partner." To Hisui's confusion, whispers surfaced from the crowd below, people had disappointed looks to their faces. That was quickly shut down upon the next question.

"Why was the city's education prioritised over other aspects of Magnolia?"

"That came from a conclusion after seeing the number of highly educated people in Magnolia was lower than other cities. At the same time, I want to give the underprivileged a better chance at a better life with a good background in education so that they can find a sufficient salary." Most of the other questions proceed that last one was attempts at prying into Hisui's duties or her personal life in Magnolia. All of which were averted or given an answer but, not an answer at the same time, something that Hisui had to do a lot back when dealing with nobles or a controversial topic popped up in a conversation.

"That was tiring…" Hisui stretched and abandoned all air of superiority now that she was back in the dressing room with Karie. "I didn't expect it to go for so long…"

"Hisui-sama is well loved after all." Karie said as she was removing the make-up from Hisui.

"Some of those questions were practically breaching privacy! 'Where do I live now?' that's something you shouldn't ask at a conference."

"My guess is that they were new to the job." Karie was now removing the jewellery but leaving the earrings alone as Hisui was taking them off.

"That's three hours of my work time gone."

"Then I don't think it's a big problem for you to take the rest of the day off."

"I can't, you know I need to prepare for the meeting tomorrow. Plus, I'm considering my options in increasing our income. And that's not including the paperwork I have to do regarding the library budget. Adding that, there's no way I can take a break! It's a shame that not all libraries here are created equal, some are more popular than others, so I have to put more money into those, that's even more time used up..."

"Also, you need to leave the city a week from now."

"That's why I need to get things done ahead of time."

"I guessed we picked a bad time to hold this."

"I'm not sure about that. Assuming our trip goes well, I'll be busy trying to get a grant from father. For that, I need to give him a good explanation on my new project."

"It seems like my duty has also increased." Karie looked at Hisui playfully.

"What do you mean?"

"I need to make sure you don't overwork yourself. Worse, I'm not even getting a raise."

"You don't even need the amount of money you're getting paid now."

"I may have to, I need to pay for my medical bills."

"What!? When did you get hurt!? Why didn't you tell me!? I could have it covered without having you to pay for it!" Hearing Karie's laugh and seeing her dimples turned Hisui's anxious look to a pout. "I was really worried…"

"My bad, my bad." Karie's laugh was reduced to giggles. "Jokes aside, if you're making me more worried than I am now, I _will_ need medical attention."

"I'll try. I can't guarantee anything."

"That's fine by me."

Working is when Hisui will turned off her attention to everything unrelated to her task. A predator on their hunt, Hisui would ignore the smell of her tea and only notice it's delivery when it has long gone cold after she finished whatever she was doing at the time. After sending away the documents she just signed and reviewing her meeting plans, Hisui grimaced at the cool tea, blaming herself for not paying attention to Karie's calls. This wasn't the first time Hisui drank a mouthful of unpleasant tea, even back in the palace, Hisui would occasionally suffer a wave of regret.

Giving her body a good stretch, Hisui stared at the plant Natsu gave to her. Under the bright light of the afternoon, no one could have known that the plant glows in the dark. In a weird way, the plant strengthened Hisui's desire to go outside to bask in the sunny rays; to watch the clouds morph into shapes and allow her brain to run wild; to relish the orchestra of nature. At the same time, looking at the plant made Hisui discontent due to what she found out recently.

* * *

Following the day after Hisui placed the plant on her window, the weather was a fine, crisp morning with strong winds soothing even the most active athletes. The fluttering curtains made Hisui win her race with her alarm. She was in her most comfortable time of the day—feeling refreshed and laid-back—a time that belonged to nothing else; not to a document; nor a letter; neither to another person.

Hisui climbed out of bed to control the flailing curtains—after getting whipped in the face by one. After cleaning herself up, Hisui got loss in a book that Levy recommended, flipping through the pages slowly, savouring the free time that she has. Two sharp knocks interrupted Hisui's reading.

"Come in." Hisui inserted a bookmark to the page she was reading before closing the book.

"Hisui-sama, breakfast is prepared."

"Karie! Why are you still so stiff?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to give me more time than that."

"Doesn't mean I can't get upset."

"Once you're finished reading, come down to eat, everyone is—I see Natsu-sama gave you a Moondew as well."

"As well?"

"I found a box with plant in it, I'm sure you found the same thing."

"Yes…" Hisui looked at the plant. "I did…"

"Hisui-sama?"

"Does a Moondew have any special to it? Besides that it glows of course."

"From what I read, a Moondew, when it blossoms, it will release a pollen that lets animals and humans that smell it, to have good dreams and get rid of nightmares."

"I see…I'll have to thank Natsu for the gift." Hisui never lifted her eyes off the Moondew until the doors to her room closed as they went downstairs where her friends were waiting.

* * *

Hisui's discontent happened just this morning, she still doesn't know what to make of it, only that she must repay Natsu one way or another. That proved to be a harder problem to tackle than the other work she has been doing thus far—Hisui has no idea what Natsu prefers for a gift! The one thing related to his personality Hisui knows about Natsu besides the things open to the public was that Natsu doesn't care for social status—something Hisui greatly appreciates. Hisui racked her brain for ideas, only to wander to Natsu's scarf, his pink hair—looking soft to the touch despite being spikey—or his sunny smile that can brighten a funeral's sombre atmosphere. Nothing useful came up.

"Hisui, dinner is ready."

"Karie, you should knock on the door before coming in."

"I did."

"I did it again didn't I?"

"Can you tell me?"

"I want to give Natsu-san a gift as thanks."

"For?"

"For the Moondew, first of all…and…for making me go to sleep when I overworked."

"I see. Come to think of it, I haven't thanked him for that as well."

"Then how about we thank him together? It's not my style to be in debt to someone, I'm sure you're the same."

"You know me well." Karie smiled.

"Let's wait until we come back from our trip."

"If I may, I believe that it's wise to have more people to join us."

"You don't have confidence in your ability?"

"I don't think it's wrong to be careful."

"Who do you have in mind?"

"Erza-sama's team."

"Natsu-san is in there correct?"

"We can thank him over there."

"Let's do that, I'll ask Erza-san after dinner."

"I hope you'll like it, I wasn't the one cooking today."

"Aren't you usually doing it?" Karie responded with a shrug.

"Apparently, they felt bad that I'm the one that's cooking all the time. Even though it's my job."

"Better not keep them waiting."

The dinner table was filled with food that Hisui wasn't used to seeing. If Hisui is to describe it, it would be 'Homely'. All the food are things that seem ordinary to other people. To Hisui, it was a rare sight, a welcome one too as Hisui has eaten gourmet too many times. Simpler food intrigued Hisui.

"Erza-san, can I ask a favour of you?" Hisui said, placing down her cutlery.

"What is it?"

"We have to leave Magnolia next week, do you think your team can come escort us?"

"No problem, where are you going?"

"I'm going to hold a meeting between leaders of town and cities. It's held in Clover town."

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you going to discuss there?"

"It's something crucial to Magnolia's development as well as benefiting other places. I'm going to make a railroad network connecting all the mayor towns and cities of Magnolia."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope my idea isn't too bad, the more I think of it the stranger it sounds.**

 **I'm finally using some of the benefits of writing in third person, still could use some work and the next few chapters doesn't do any favours for me.**

 **Anyway, I'm feeling a bit down lately, a bit lonely and a bit angry—mainly how pointless it feels like writing this story—really affecting my writing. The fact that I've been playing games again doesn't speed things up either.**

 **I'm not begging for people to start giving me feedback to get my creative drive going again, I firmly believe that if my writing is good, people will naturally let me know what they think. The fact that no one is saying anything is telling me I need to up my game. So in a way, getting nothing but crickets is a good thing, even if it drives me slightly insane. But hey, a lot of successful people are kind of insane right?**

 **Then why am I saying all this? I don't know really, I'm the type of person that feels better by writing down my frustration, and what better way to do that than to write it down on a section that no one read? I do feel much better after writing this down. I do have other stuff to say but, that will involve throwing stones at other writer on this site so, I won't be disclosing that any time soon.**

 **Seriously though, if you pity me and start to write something down on the reviews section, you're not helping me, you're just proving to me that begging for reviews works and encourages me to do it more often. That won't be a fun time for anyone.**

 **If anyone is reading this, I will keep writing, and I want to take this time in thanking you for reading my own ramblings that I should have kept private. Thanks for being awesome.**

 **Until then, I hope you enjoyed and, I hope you have a great day!**


	7. Chapter 7: Grand Gathering

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Hisui was on her way to Clover Town for the meeting to start her process on expanding Magnolia. With Erza and her team as the escorts, Hisui was running through her preparations for the meeting while trying to ignore the groaning from Natsu. The rattling created from the train made it hard for Hisui to keep her papers steady. For once, Hisui couldn't shut out the excess noise and gave a sympathetic look to the motion sick Natsu.

"I didn't think would be that bad."

"Hisui-sama, you don't need to worry," Erza started, "Natsu come over here." Natsu struggled even further to move away from his seat. "It can't be helped." Erza dragged Natsu next to her and delivered a blow to Natsu's stomach."

"Is he alright?"

"Better than to have him suffer throughout the trip."

"I suppose that's true. Does this happen all the time?"

"Basically." Lucy explained. "Or we can force Natsu to go to sleep, then move in on board. But, it's a lot of work to do that. So, Erza just knocks him out. Plus, it stops the vomiting."

"Surely, there is a better way?"

"There was. Wendy would cast a spell on Natsu to negate his motion sickness. However, he developed an immunity to it."

"That sounds tough…" Hisui looked at Natsu's softened expression. Compared to his agonizing screams, it was a huge improvement. With Natsu being in a more comfortable place, Hisui was able to concentrate on her papers once more.

Hisui and Karie arrived at the meeting room without any difficultly, for now, the room was absent of any other people. An oval table surrounded by chairs sat on a black carpet that sank at the two's footsteps. Cups filled with water were waiting for the others to arrive. The doors opened and a lady wearing a jacket and trousers walked in. Hisui smiled at seeing her few friends that she could without reserve.

"Marchioness Emily, it's good to see you again." Hisui greeted with a mischievous smile.

"Hisui, you know I hate that, friends shouldn't be so stiff with each other. And from the letters from Karie-chan, I know you feel the same."

"Alright, I'll drop it. But still, when was the last time I saw you wearing a dress?"

"I can't help it, I prefer trousers. Living in a land where horses are heavily integrated into our culture does that to you."

"But on the flip side, having an open field to run around in must be lovely."

"I won't deny that. Rudy and I are entering an obstacle course."

"I wish I have time to see that…being a mayor is tough work."

"Now you know how I feel. Don't worry, after a month when all your plans are going underway it'll get much better. Although, knowing you, you most likely forced yourself into the position you're in now." The red eyes of Emily shone concern.

"I've been taking care of myself."

"I disagree Hisui-sama," Karie spoke out. "you didn't sleep very well."

"That was one time!"

"Emily-sama, please look at this." Karie fished out a phot of Hisui's sleeping face complete with the terrible bags and dark eyes. Emily's tanned face blackened.

"Where did you get that!? You took a picture without my permission?"

"Please forgive me, I had to."

"Hisui!" Emily shouted, causing Hisui to flinch. "You should be glad that Karie-chan didn't report this to the king, you looked awful! How did you managed to do this!? Did you not sleep for a week? You need to—" The doors opening cut Emily off, a trembling man followed by a stoic one walked into the room—both wearing matching suits.

"Come one Weiss, you really need to get you act together, you're meeting the Princess along with other nobles." The stoic one said.

"But bro, you know I'm weak with these kinds of things."

"That's why we're here to—Hisui-sama, Emily-sama! Please forgive me for not noticing you earlier!"

"You are…" Emily looked to Hisui for guidance.

"Weiss and Dan, twins that look over two towns separated by a mountain. How is the tunnel progress?"

"Almost complete." Dan responded. "I think it'll take another month."

"That's plenty of time for you to ready for my plan. Assuming that you agree of course."

"Of course, we'll be taking this meeting into great consider—" Dan was shoved aside by a man with even features, red hair in a bowl-cut and brown eyes that made Hisui internally groan. For Karie, it was even worse, for those eyes held their focus on her and only her.

"Karie! My love, have you decided to be mine?" The man took Karie's hand and kissed it

"Howard-sama," Karie said coldly, "as an Earl, I believe that you should focus on our objective rather than to pick you women to accompany you to bed. Please take my humble suggestion into account." After finishing, Karie used serving snacks as a excuse to separate herself from the star-struck man.

"Ahh…" Howard relished Karie's word in euphoria. "You're as cold as ever…perfect, I love a good challenge."

"As Karie has said, we're here to discuss on the railroad. Earl Howard, please control yourself."

"As you wish Hisui-sama." The remaining people to enter the room didn't cause a ruckus, walking silently to their seats, leaving three of them empty. People of different colours sat around the oval table with a serious expression.

"Thank You all for coming, I'm sure you know that we're here to talk about my plans to expand the current railroad system. Currently, only mayor cities and towns with notable achievements are connected to the railroad system, leaving the lesser towns and cities behind to a slower method of travel from place to place.

"If we can expand the railroad system, Fiore can prosper more than before; delivering goods will become easier; transportation will become more convenient." Hisui pulled out a stack of papers and have Karie hand them around the table. "This is what I have in mind, the red dots on the map are where I believe that new railroad station can benefit the most from. While I can't cover every single town, I made that all cities are now linked as well as including more towns than there was before. The towns that doesn't have access to a station are close to towns with a station, so the people living there can still benefit from this."

"But Hisui-sama," A bearded man spoke out, "a project on this scale is going to require a vast amount of resources, where are we going to get the funds required? The kingdom doesn't have enough money to support this idea."

"You're correct, the kingdom can't sustain a project such as this. However, if everyone here is willing to invest more money, we can make it happen. That's why we're here to discuss which town or city isn't joining in this plan."

"Princess, if I may," A woman wearing a suit started. "as you know, my town is known for their nature parks, if we're to introduce something like a train station, I'm afraid that the wildlife there might not be able to adjust to the add noise. And worse comes to worst, the chances of an animal being killed by the train exists. While, it's make it easier to get to my town, bringing potential damage to a core industry of mine is not worth the risk. Which is why I'm not supporting this project."

"I agree with you on the sound and danger aspects, however, if implemented properly, won't you say that adding a train station is a worthwhile investment? For instance, you can effortlessly cut off the sound using a barrier or use a silent model of a train. And proper barricading can prevent animals from getting in the tracks. While I admit that that your station will be more expensive to construct, therefore I want to point out my next topic of discussion. Getting a grant from the kingdom."

"You just went through that the kingdom can't support the project and most of it is coming from the towns and cities involved…"

"We can't have the kingdom's full support however, we can ask for support in unique situations like yours. Since the train in your town is costlier, with justified reason, we can ask the kingdom to cover for those stations and nothing else."

"Then some places won't have to pay for a thing!" A wave of protest came out, disrupting the order of the meeting.

"I contemplated on the matter." Hisui's words restored the room's control. "Those places will simply have to pay for the other stations, the amount they're paying will be the same as us, only that the fees will be divided equally between all the other stations. Which is why I hope that everyone here that has special circumstances and is willing to back the project can tell me of their situation and Karie will noted them down.

"Once the project is going underway, I'll send a letter to father. If I must, I'll visit him myself, explaining why certain places will need a grant compared to the others. Of course, we will need his approval of the project before any of this can happen, I'll handle all that. I just need everyone here to give me your consent on whether you're collaborating or not."

* * *

The meeting continued as it is, the majority stayed silent while the vocal minority spoke their opinions. Like a conductor, Hisui controlled the meeting from beginning to end, addressing the concerns of the leaders and bringing solutions to solve them. Some had vindicated reasons for not joining in Hisui's plan but, those were few in numbers. Before long, Hisui possesses a river of advocates while bearing a puddle of opposition. Seeing the people that Hisui will see in another week get funnelled out of the room, she and Karie started cleaning up.

"Hisui, do you need any help with the project?" Emily handed Hisui an empty cup.

"I'm fine, I don't want to disturb you from practising."

"Karie, make sure she doesn't get too reckless."

"I'll do my best."

"You two have no trust in me…"

"Of course we don't." "Why should we?"

Despite Hisui's reassuring, she left the building giving a new goal for Karie. There, Hisui found Natsu staring at the clouds, hands cushioning his head. His eyes weren't looking at anything in particular, brows furrowed slightly.

"Natsu-san, what are you doing?"

"You're back…" Natsu got up and dusted himself. "I was thinking about stuff."

"I see. Where are the others?"

"They went to buy something."

"Then you're free?"

"Yeah…why?"

"We want to give thanks for what you've done for the both of us."

"Don't sweat the small stuff, I only followed my gut."

"Unfortunately, we can't, it's not like us to leave a deed unrewarded. If you can't accept something more extravagant, at least take this." Hisui presented a bracelet that Karie took out. It was made of a band of silver metal sporting a simple design with no gems, only a carving of a dragon.

"What's this?"

"A bracelet. Although, with your magic, it might as well be a decoration for your house. That doesn't mean it will melt, it can withstand flames, I'm just not sure how hot yours can go."

"Thanks, I'll keep it around my house."

"That's fine by us."

"Karieee!" A handsome man sneaked behind Karie and play with her hair. "Now that the bothersome meeting in done, shall we catch-up on the times we've been away from each other?"

"I'm afraid I can't abandon my role as Hisui-sama's servant."

"Then how about I hire you, how about it? I can pay you more than what she is. I'll even give you the privilege of exploring my bedroom. All you need is to quit being Hisui-sama's maid and become mine."

"Howard-sama, I already said that I'm dedicated to Hisui-sama and I don't plan on leaving her anytime soon."

"Who is this creep? Hisui, you're friends with this tomato?" Hisui involuntarily giggled at Natsu's remarks while Howard got red in the cheeks.

"How…how…dare you…" Howard growled. "what ranking are you!? I don't recall seeing a noble like you! Moreover, to call Hisui-sama so casually, you must be an upstart. And yet, you're so insolent to me…me! An Earl! Tell me! What hierarchy rank are you!?" Natsu placed his hands around his head.

"Hisui, he seems to be an idiot too, he can't even tell I'm ordinary person. Or is he so blind that he can't see my guild mark? Even if I was a noble, I wouldn't dress like a clown." Natsu's remark on Howard's gaudy clothes that flared out with frills at the end of the sleeves and trouser turned Hisui's light giggle to leaked laughter that was quickly suppressed. Even the professional Karie stifled a chuckle.

"A lowlife!? Do you even know who you're insulting? And to do it front of the Princess, you best hope that you have an early death. You've made an enemy with someone you shouldn't have! Enjoy your last days of your guild you miscreant! I'll be tearing it down soon!" Natsu's grin disappeared and his fangs were shown.

"You're really an idiot." Natsu picked Howard by the collar. "Just try to make a move on Fairy Tail, and it'll be your biggest mistake of your life!"

"Natsu-san, I think that's enough, please release him, don't worry about your guild, it's under my jurisdiction and it's a centre piece of Magnolia. I won't let Fairy Tail dissolve just because of Earl Howard's influence."

"Fine." Howard slumped to the floor like a doll without support.

"Hi—Hisui-sama…why are you defending that man?"

"In a way, I'm stopping him from burning you to cinders. But yes, I am defending him. I don't think it's wrong to help a friend in need."

"Friend? But…but...he could be using you Hisui-sama! He's untrustworthy!"

"Perhaps if that wasn't coming from someone that has no respect for people's decisions and for women in general, I would be paying attention to your advice. However, this isn't the case." Hisui's bone-chilling stare seemed to rip into Howard's mind. "You also belittle my ability to discern people."

"You're siding with him a—and not m—me?"

"Of course. Unlike you, Natsu-san has helped me plenty while you…only caused me inconveniences."

"You won't hear the last of this! I'll have you regret this!"

"Shall I take that as a threat? Actually, it doesn't matter. You won't be able to garner any support, seeing how the title 'Obscene Earl' is circulating. However, that doesn't matter if I take you down right now. Your father and I exchanged some interesting words last I visited his household. I'm sure you know the contents of our discussion. Your younger brother would love to take that title away from you." Howard now resemble a corpse hearing Hisui's words. "If you leave us alone, you can continue along with your…peculiar lifestyle."

"I'll do it! Ju—just don't tell father!"

"Then please return to your estate." Seeing Howard's escaping figure, Natsu whistled.

"You can be pretty scary at times."

"I try not to show that side of me to people, I'm sorry that you had to see that."

"Don't be, you helped protect Fairy Tail, I should be thanking you. Besides, you looked cool back then." Hisui was surprised at first. Then, her lips curled to a smile.

"Thank You."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! It's really strange to be commenting on a chapter I've long written—I'm writing chapter 11 for crying out loud! Mainly because I forgotten the things I wanted to say here. However, I have noticed a strange trend, I've only been writing about men being corrupted as all hell, not a single girl. Granted, I have no idea how girls think—being a guy and everything. However, I do want to do something about this, maybe in the later chapters.**

 **Anyway, I found something interesting I want to share with you guys, while I was looking at the story stats, I found out that Germany has the third most views contributing to the whole view count, then I looked at my story about Juvia, not as much contribution(But I still appreciate every last one of you guys). I'm not trying to be a dick by saying what country is better, it's just an interesting stat that I want to share.**

 **One last thing before I go, do you thing I'm doing a good job at balancing the serious stuff from the goofy stuff? Then there's the relationship building with Natsu, I'm doing a terrible job on this department, I'll try to improve that.**

 **Until then, I hope you enjoyed, have a nice day!**


	8. Chapter 8: Wandering

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Several meetings later, Hisui has a list of participates and is now writing a letter to her father explaining her return for a meeting. As the pen scratched on the paper, Hisui thought about her return to the capital and things that happened since her departure. Though only three weeks has passed since she was appointed the mayor of Magnolia, her life was accelerating more than ever. Hisu's relationship with her Karie transform; she has more reliable friends to talk to and have fun with. After putting her preparation into a bag and sending away the letter, Hisui frowned. She's free for the first time in three weeks. The idea of a walk crossed her mind. To look at the progress of the construction for herself and not stick to the progress on paper.

The streets of Magnolia were just as lively as ever, perhaps even more so—it was the rare instance of Hisui walking the city. Greetings were exchanged from the bolder citizens while the timid ones stared at Hisui as she passed by. Large amounts of dust hung in the air and construction sounds blended with the market sounds. The streets were split into two rivers going the opposite directions, drops of water would spilt apart from the stream to see the store wares.

Turning around to a quieter part of the city, Hisui found herself walking in a park, sunbathers sat on a reclining chair or laid on a sheet of fabric to absorb the sun's rays. Adding the people having a picnic plus the couples flirting in public made Hisui slightly envious of their free time they can spend with the loved ones while Hisui was away from her father and barricaded by files and papers. Hisui found a tree to sit under before looking at the pond. Watching the birds soar into the clouds and dragonflies dance to the summer winds brought a smile to Hisui's firm face.

"Onee-chan," Hisui felt poke on her arm, looking down, Hisui saw a little girl—barely reaching Hisui's knees—with bright topaz eyes and brown hair tied into twin tails. "be happy."

"What do you me—"

"Honey! Don't run off on your own! What if something happens to you? Hi—Hisui-sama!? I'm deeply sorry for my daughter's actions. Come on honey, apologise to Hisui-sama."

"But mama, she looks lonely." Hisui looked at the girl with curious eyes mixed in with slight surprise.

"Sally!"

"It's fine." Hisui picked up the child and placed her on her lap, looking into the innocent eyes of the child's. Hisui smiled and stroked Sally's hair before looking at the mother of the child. "You must be lucky to have a child this talented, I'm sure she'll do great things for the kingdom in the future."

"Tha—thank You very much! Your words mean a lot to me!"

"I'm glad that I helped secure her future, it makes all those hours worth the trouble." Hisui set the child down and stood up. "Work hard, make your mother proud." Hisui waved the two goodbye and continued her walk.

* * *

Leaving the park took Hisui to a quiet part of the city, where trees are visible in the distance. The sounds of nature were amplified with the lesser amount of people. The kinds of people that Hisui saw primarily consisted of travelling merchants towing wagons with horses or magical vehicles. One path in particular was tickling Hisui's urge to explore. It leads deep into the woods, with a wall of trees acting as a welcome mat. The logical side of her set off alarms repeatedly, pushing against Hisui's curiosity. It was thanks to her self-defence lessons from Arcadios that ultimately drove Hisui to enter the woods without much hesitation.

Each sound entering Hisui's ears caused her to flinch or stop and look at her surroundings; the same array of trees and rocks stared back. At this time, the trail she was following devolved to roots, twigs and leaves; accompanied by the sounds of cicadas and the heart beating to the unknown.

After considering and turning down her many urges to return home—becoming ignorant to the forest—Hisui pushed on until the path returned and the surrounding ground became a leisurely walk up an incline. Most intriguing of all, was a sign worn and abused by weather. Moss covered the support; the filtered light made it barely legible for Hisui.

"Natsu…and…Happy." Hisui looked beyond the sign and saw a house in an even worse condition than the sign. It was made of stone with no straight walls—showing off the amateur work—eaten by vines and dominated by moss. The orange slates showed the same sign of damage, only white stains were added to the impressive neglection of maintenance

Hisui walked to the door knob—the only place that showed signs of cleaning. Hisui turned the knob, and to her surprise, her moment wasn't met with resistance and reward with a click.

"Natsu-san? Happy-san? Are you in here?" Hisui rejected the idea of entering the house and waited for a reply. Not getting a response, Hisui was about to leave when the door creaked open.

"Hisui? What…are you doing…here?" Natsu asked in between yawns, rubbing his eyes.

"You only just woke up?"

"I was training…yesterday…I was tired."

"May I come in? I've been walking for a long time."

"Sure," Natsu opened the door fully and stepped out of the way. "might be a bit messy." Just stepping in the house, Hisui had to be mindful of a fish bone. Followed by a stray log, Natsu prevented Hisui from meeting the ground by grabbing her shoulders.

"Thank You."

"I said that it'll be messy."

"I didn't think it'll be so bad."

"Just be careful from now on." Natsu gave control back to Hisui. Hisui looked around at the messy floor, emotions changing upon seeing more fish, plastic bags and a bucket sprawled in the floor. Looking closer, Hisui could see a path free of obstacles in the corridor leading to Natsu's living room.

Weaving pass the traps, Hisui gladly found that the living room had more space to move around. A couch leaned against a wall opposite to a bulletin board filled with job requests and other paper memorabilia fixed to it. Underneath the board of memories, was a shelf presenting trinkets and other curiosities.

"Sit on the couch, I'll get something to drink." After dodging her feet to the couch, Hisui sat down and enjoyed the relief her legs were experiencing. "So," Natsu set down a cup of hot water on a coffee table while sitting next to Hisui in one, smooth motion. "what brings you here? More like, who told you where I live?"

"I stumbled across it myself while I was the outskirts of the city. You need to make the path more welcoming, I almost turned back many times because of how eerie your path looked." Hisui tested the heat of the water before taking a sip.

"I get that a lot, but, I don't see the problem."

"Because you don't lock your doors?"

"It's not that I don't lock it, it's that I can't."

"Pardon me?"

"I broke it when I came back from training years ago."

"And you haven't replaced it yet!?"

"Who cares? No one besides the guild knows where I live. Also, I can kick a thief's ass any day."

"I suppose…"

"By the way, you're surprisingly free if you have time to come all the way out here to my house."

"That's because I finished my preparation to return to the capital." Hisui

"You're leaving? You got fired?"

"No, I'm meeting my father to present my project to him. If I succeed, I can expand the railway system."

"Yo—you hate me that much!?" Natsu backed away from Hisui instantly.

"I don't follow." Hisui drank from the cup and relished the heat traveling down her throat.

"You know that I can't stand transportation"

"Then you should be glad that I'm doing this."

"You gone cray!? I'm not going on that thing!"

"But you will have to later, you can't expect to go on foot every time. Also, by adding more train stations, you can reduce the time you need to go to places that wasn't accessible before. For example, if a place that could only be accessed by carriage and you can go there by train, won't the time to go there be reduced? So in turn, you can experience less motion sickness."

"Really!? You're the best!" The over-excited Natsu pulled Hisui into a hug.

"Yo—you're welcome…" Natsu returned to his original position, his grin still present.

"Sorry, I was too excited."

"It's fine…I didn't mind."

"Your ears are a bit red though."

"Re—really?" Hisui placed her hands to her ears and felt the warmth radiating from her ear. "It's true…wh—where is Happy-san?"

"The bastard left without me." Natsu scowled for a second and mellowed out. "Well, I guess that's my fault. I did train too hard yesterday."

"Why were you training so hard?"

"To kick Gray's ass. And Erza's, Gildarts too."

"And cause more damage than you already have?"

"That's…uhh…not a problem! I'll kick their asses before I'll break too many things."

"Do you really think it'll be so easy? From what I heard, you haven't won against Erza-san or Gildarts-san before."

"Then I'll get the stripper."

"Aren't you two evenly matched?"

"Now that I trained we're not!"

"Then I wish you the best of luck."

"I don't need it."

"It wouldn't hurt." Hisui took another mouthful of water, souring at the cooling liquid.

"It's cold? Give it here." Hisui handed the cup to Natsu, to which he topped off the cup and pointed a small flame to the bottom of the cup. Hisui looked absentmindedly at the cup, watching steam rise from the cup again. "Here you go. It's hot though."

"I don't you to tell me." Hisui pinched the rim of the cup and set it on the coffee table. "Thank You. Your magic really is useful."

"Yeah, I got it from Igneel after all."

"Natsu-san, do you think that I'm lonely?"

"What's with you all of the sudden?"

"Answer the question please."

"No, no you're not. You have Fairy Tail by your side."

"Even though that I'm not a part of your guild?"

"That doesn't mean you're not our friend. We'll always support friends, no matter what."

"Thank You."

"Why did you ask?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking about the past."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Maybe later, it's a boring story."

"I'll wait then."

"It's almost time for lunch, do you want to come with me?"

"Are you paying?" Natsu grinned.

"Not fully, I heard about your appetite from Lucy-san and saw it first hand at the party. If you want, I can pay half of the meal."

"Let's go then!"

"Do you know any good restaurants? I'm ashamed to admit that I never been around the city to eat. I've been staying in my office and ate Karie's cooking."

"In that case…I got just the place. Come with me!" Natsu took Hisui's hand and ran out the house at eye-watering speeds, not caring about Hisui's protests. In a no time at all, Hisui saw all the things she did earlier in less than a third of the time, the wind blew her hair into a jumbled mess. Though she was anxious at crashing into a tree, Natsu's excited face destroyed her doubts as she put her full trust in the man that was pulling her around like luggage. The speed that they were going at reminded Hisui of when she was running away from the palace to experience the streets, nostalgic, welcoming.

"Aaand, we're here!" Natsu stopped in front of restaurant named "Hungry Foal'. Written in white, blocky letters, restaurant made the name stand out with its black body and glass doors. "This place it close to the guild, so lots of us come eat here. Some of us are really picky about the taste, so this restaurant must be good or none of us will eat here. Come on!" Still holding on to Hisui's hand, Natsu forged into the building.

Inside, was a fairly big—slightly smaller than a hall—run-of-the-mill restaurant with nothing unique to its design. Wooden chairs were placed around square tables in groups of four—the tables sticking to the wall only had two chairs. The menu laid at the centre was the star, with no supporting characters.

"A table for two please!" Natsu told a waiter.

"You got it! Please sit over there." The waiter pointed to a table on the wall and Natsu guided Hisui to their seat.

"Have you been to places like these?"

"No, I haven't." Hisui held her head down while trying to smoothen her hair that was remodelled in the wind.

"Then, leave it to me."

"Are you ready to order?"

"We'll have two of the daily specials."

"A great choice, please wait for a short while, the food will be delivered soon."

"Hisui, how long is your trip to the capital."

"If nothing goes wrong, I expect it to last a day. Do you need something?"

"No, I just wanted to know."

"You're not doing anything behind my back are you? After what I said back in Clover town."

"Why would I? I said I was just curious. Or don't you trust me?" Hisui thought about what Natsu had done for her as well as believing in her own eyes that were trained against deception.

"I do, it's just that I get paranoid when people ask me questions like that. Nobles don't ask questions for the sake of asking one."

"Well I'm not a stuck-up bastard, I'm your friend. And I may not know much about your world but, let me tell you this. If you stay weary of everyone, you soon won't even trust your friends."

"Of course I know that, I need to be mindful of my position as a Princess. Not everyone can be as carefree as you are Natsu."

"Well," The waiter delivered two plates in front of Natsu and Hisui. "no point in talking about these kinds of things, let's eat."

"You sure are laid-back." Hisui picked up the cutlery provide to her and took a bite out of the food. "Delicious…"

"Right? Told you this stuff is good." Their conversation ended the moment Natsu started eating. Hisui smiled dryly seeing the dragon slayer showing no mercy to the plate, thinking while he did solve her envy, he just started it again.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!**

 **I really don't have anything to say this time so, let me know what you think of the story so far! Did I do a good job in balancing the two key parts of the story? Or did I fail?**

 **Until then, have a nice day!**


	9. Chapter 9: Overdue Reunion

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Hisui hummed a tune as the capital city got bigger outside the train windows, never did she think that month of being away from Crocus would cause her to be like this. It's a contradictory feeling, being able to see her father again was great news for both parties. Yet, knowing that she may deal with the inconveniences of someone holding power made Hisui have second thoughts. Karie, on the other hand, showed no complicated emotions, only a small smile that none but Hisui can detect. Hisui flipped the flap to her briefcase on her lap repeatedly, ultimately closing it and moving her hands away from the bag.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, I guess I'm just nervous at seeing the city again."

"That doesn't seem plausible, I believe that you're trying to say you don't want to handle the small talk."

"That might it. There are times where I wish you don't know me as well as you do."

"It's in my job description, I wouldn't be serving you for as long as I am if I can't read you somewhat. There are times when you just seem distant."

"I suppose I only myself to blame. Perhaps royalty is distant by nature."

"Then I believe that you're an exception, when you're around the streets Magnolia or Crocus, you'll find people that will support you. Hisui, I think it's time for you to cast away that false notion of yours, it's unhealthy to think about it too much. Maybe Natsu-sama is correct and you do need to lighten up."

"I wish it's that simple."

"But it is, when you're talking to Fairy Tail members, I find that you show sides that I rarely see, and I've been your shadow for a good part of your life."

"Speaking of talking, have you made any friends or acquaintances in the month we've been in Magnolia? Like you said, you're my shadow, I hate to rib you of your social bonding because it's your duty."

"In that regard, I get along well with Erza-sama. While I'm shopping, I would bump into Mirajane-sama, we seem to share an interest in cooking, we've been teaching each other recipes, she would teach me local and household food while I teach her the foods you can only find in parties held by nobles."

"I can't say that I'm surprised that you get along well with them. You all prioritises family before yourself, the older sister in a family."

"Taking care of a little sister like you isn't easy you know, considering how you can't do any chores."

"I wasn't taught how to! The maids would tell me to play outside, or go back to my study."

"You could ask me."

"It's a bit too late now. I'm busy with other matters."

"Like what we're doing right now?" Karie took the briefcase off Hisui's lap and moved to the train door.

"Yes."

"Looks like nothing has changed." Karie said while waiting for Hisui to get off the train.

"We can't expect big changes in only a month. Moreover, we're only in the train station." Once they were out the station, Karie summoned a parasol and walked besides Hisui. "Didn't I say to go in the shade?"

"We're in public." Karie gestured to the citizens looking at the two. "Don't worry, I put sun screen on beforehand."

"I still don't like it."

"Just bear with it."

The people in Crocus were slightly more well-dressed compared to Magnolia, no one was shirtless from physical labour for one, and the clothing were less worn due to the less active lifestyle they lived. Housing was similar, but different enough for ordinary people to differentiate. Using stone bricks as a foundation, the second floor was made of wood. Full stone houses are more abundant. Standing proudly at the centre, was a massive palace that overlooked the entire city, with equally impressive walls guarding its residents.

They shielded themselves from both sunlight and the stares of admiration by entering a carriage that was prepared by Karie before coming here. Hisui breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that they don't have to walk to the palace.

"I forgot how big the city is."

"It's not like you to neglect details like this. Can you tell me what's been in your mind?"

"I rather not…"

"I can't help you if you don't tell me."

"Because it's something that I don't need help with."

"That is?"

"You're not going to let up, are you?"

"Not anytime soon."

"I was excited to see the capital again. So I forgot."

"That's understandable I guess."

"An—anyway, do you think we have time to visit mother? I want to tell her what I have been doing."

"No problem, should I prepare some flowers?"

"Please do." Karie made the driver pull over and she stepped out the carriage.

"Azaleas, correct?

"Yes, they were her favourite."

"Then I'll meet with you at her resting place."

"I'll see you there." The carriage sped off after Hisui gave the driver her instructions, leaving Karie with a heavy heart, worried for her master.

* * *

Hisui was walking in a garden, well-trimmed bushes surrounding her; giving her two options to go. Passing an archway of white flowers, Hisui saw the monument that she hated and loved so much. It was surrounded by flowers holding every colour Hisui could think of. She stepped closer. The monument was the symbol of Fiore, at the bottom, laid a gravestone, Hisui knelt and traced the message on the slab longingly with her index finger, noticing a bouquet of Azaleas lying on the gravestone.

"I'm home." Footstep replied to Hisui's declaration.

"Forgive me for being late."

"As long as you got the flowers, it's fine." Karie handed the bouquet to Hisui and walked back to the archway.

"I'll be waiting back here."

"Thank You." Hisui, placed her flowers next to the other one gently. "Mother, I'm finally walking down the same path you did, bettering the country. Though I'm sure I can't match up to what you did, I don't think anyone can. I'm sure you must be worried that I might suffer the same end as you, but please don't worry, Karie is taking care of me, she's making sure I get enough sleep, eat enough food and drink plenty.

"Also, I made some friends that I can talk freely to, not just Emily but wizards from Fairy Tail, they're all so special in their own way. Especially a person called Natsu Dragneel, he may seem dense but, he can be surprisingly sharp at times, I'm sure you would love meeting him.

"Father is doing a good job running the country, he's working hard to make your vision a reality, though, I'm sure you heard that from him. Did he exaggerate his feats like always? I'm going to meet him after this, I'm making my first big change in Fiore, I'm trying to expand the railroad network to reach out to the smaller towns and cities. Didn't you always say that you wanted to visit some places, but you can't because of how inconvenient it is? If my plan goes through, I think I'll solve that problem.

"I wish you can see how much I've grown, father says that I look more and more like you but, I don't think so, you're more beautiful, talented and well-loved than I am. I can't even do household chores like you. I can't put aside time for others, I keep getting engrossed in my work. How did you do it?

"At the very least, can you please keep watching over me? Even on the other side, I'm certain you're busy. However, can you listen to my selfish request? I have support from the people and my friends but, I want your approval. I want you to tell me that I did a good job, just like when I was little. Most of all…I…I want to see you again…

"I miss you…so much. I want to see your proud smile…I want to hear you laugh…I want to be in your arms. Can I see you again? Mama?" Hisui wiped away the wet spots of the gravestone. "I'll…be going now. It was nice talking with you, I promise I'll visit you soon." Hisui walked back to where Karie was waiting.

"Should be wait until tomorrow?"

"No, I should be fine."

"Just don't push yourself."

"I won't, let's not keep father waiting."

"Understood."

* * *

Hisui was walking to the throne room with Karie—having gotten her composure back. Hisui placed her palm on the door.

"Karie."

"Yes?"

"Do you think…she will be proud?"

"Yes…Hisui is, her pride and joy. You're someone that Caroline-sama will risk everything for."

"I see. Sorry for asking such a strange question, even though I should know the answer to it already." Hisui pushed open the door with a clear goal. The king was seated on his throne like the last time Hisui was in the throne room, not losing a bit of his regal visage.

"Good afternoon father, I hope you've been well."

"Hisui, welcome back. I have been well. In fact, I've been looking forward to your return, Karie's reports just doesn't do it. A father does want to see his own daughter grow in person."

"Can we leave it until after we talked about my plans?"

"What's wrong? You're not like yourself."

"I'm fine."

"Hisui-sama visited Caroline-sama."

"Karie!"

"I see." Toma's face softened. "I'll wait until you've calm down."

"Father, I'm fine."

"Hisui, what did your mother tell you?"

"To do what I love…and…reject the things I hate."

"Then follow it. I believe she said reject, not, become it. I want to see my daughter, not the Princess of the land." Those words shook Hisui to the core. Hisui dropped to the floor and, she cried, screaming her heart out. Pain emanated from her heart, inching closer to her head. Before it could reach the brain, Hisui felt a weight press against her back. Then, another weight hugged Hisui from the front.

"Toma-sama, forgive me for doing this without permission." Karie said while stroking Hisui's hair.

"It's fine, what kind of father will I be if I don't let my daughter's friend comfort her?" Toma wiped away Hisui's tears. "Dear, we're here for you, and hopefully, someone else will do what I can't." Hisui sobbed for a while, slowly turning to stifles, before only puffy green eyes remain.

"Thank…You…"

"Are you ready?" Hisui nodded. "May I see your plans? I'll give you time." Upon Hisui nodding, Karie handed the documents to Toma and he read it methodically, turning over the page every now and then.

"What…do you think?"

"Hisui, do you know how long this could take?"

"Each station will take nine months or so, six months if we used magicians, that'll up the cost."

"That's not what I meant. Do you think Fiore has enough manpower to do this in a timely fashion?"

"I don't know…"

"Your suggestions will certainly get rid of the problems concerning money, manpower is a different problem. That was just the stations, we're not including the tracks. Granted those will take less time than the stations. However, this many will take time."

"Then, how long will it take?"

"Aren't you the one that's supposed to tell me? Or did you come here without preparation?"

"I didn't."

"Then tell me how long it'll take." Hisui didn't reply and went into deep thought, turning back deep into her brain for a logical solution.

"Two to three years." Hisui's voice held no ambivalence, her eyes met Toma's without looking away.

"How? No matter how I long at this, I see that it'll take at least five years at best."

"We'll use the citizens. Financially compensated of course."

"What do you mean?"

"We'll have someone teach the citizens on how to build the tracks, since tracks are easier to construct compared to a building that takes professional recognition, that means that even normal people can build tracks without much trouble as long they have suitable supervision.

"Once the people are sufficient on their own, we can have the teachers focus solely on constructing the stations. Of course, we'll have to open a channel of communication if any problem arises, and we'll have the professionals do a thorough inspection of the tracks every month. Hiring wizards can speed up the process as well, the more well-off cities can afford to hire wizards to help them. If we want to speed things up even more, we can reach out to the neighbouring countries for talent. Following this method will increase the costs tremendously, however, as a long-term investment, it'll pay for itself.

"With increased pathways of travel, we can increase the amount of trading and attract more tourists. Not to mention the quality-of-life changes the expanded network will bring, the citizens will be happier. Furthermore, hiring citizens, preferably jobless people, we can offer those people a stable income until they find a better job. Adding all this up, I believe we can finish this up in two to three years." Toma chuckled before speaking.

"I was just testing your resolve to follow through with a massive project like this one, who would've thought that you would come up with something like this?"

"That means you'll approve!?"

"Of course, I want to better the kingdom as well."

"Thank goodness…"

"Looks like my decision wasn't a mistake after all. Sending you to Magnolia made you a better person. Looks like you found some good friends. Hisui, I'll handle the advertising for the citizens, you just handle your duties as the mayor."

"Understood!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I get a feeling that Hisui is having too easy of a time doing what she wants, let me know if that's the case.**

 **So I got a bit of character development for Hisui, yeah I know it's a cheap and cliche way to do it. But hey, there's a reason why it's used so often, I do want to ask is how I did on this crucial moment.**

 **Anyway, I'm getting stuck in gathering ideas, of course I can't ask for ideas because you guys don't really know how the story is progressing, I'm just telling you this because it might slow down my writing, it won't affect the updating rate though.**

 **Until then, hope you enjoyed, have a nice day!**


	10. Chapter 10: Catching Up

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Over the sounds of hammering and grunting, dust was kicked up in the air; after a weeks' worth of brainstorming with others, Hisui's plan finally has a schematic, the layout of the tracks has been sorted out. Now, the construction was about to go underway. Just then, a man sweating from the summer heat barged into Hisui's office.

"Hisui-sama, we have a problem!"

"What is it?"

"We don't have enough people to build the schools and expand the station at the same time!"

"I had a feeling that would happen, I hope that this wasn't the case. I hate to do but, please have some groups stop working on the schools and focus on the train station, the schools that I marked as high priority will continue. As for the tracks, we're still compiling the list of civilian workers so, please don't worry about the tracks just yet."

"Then, I'll tell that to everyone."

"I'm counting on you." Once the man has left, Hisui sighed heavily.

"Karie, looks like I over-played my hand, I didn't think this through."

"That's to be expected, with the way you're using our manpower."

"I still have ways to go. Hopefully, we can finish the station in a year, then we can focus on the schools. Or, we can send helpers to other towns and cities, but not everyone will be willing to move to another place, even if we reward them monetarily."

"A year is a bit wishful no? The tracks I suspect can be done in a half a year, once that happens, we can expect things to be faster."

"Then what do you think is a reasonable time?"

"I say…a year and a half."

"I guess in the meantime, I shouldn't do anything that requires construction."

"What do you have in mind?"

"First," Hisui patted a stack of application forms. "we handle this, can you help me?"

"I never thought that you would ask for my help."

"I didn't want to add to your burden after all."

"It's my job to assist you in any way I can."

* * *

Hisui's plan was set in full motion. The jobless applied for a position in a flash shortly after the King's speech. Now, Hisui is pouring her time into other reports of the pass years, looking for ways to improve the city without adding to the infrastructure. Time past like leaves swirling in the wind, no define shape or pattern. Hisui sprawled out on her desk, pushing aside the files effortlessly. Not finding anything that she could use, Hisui drank a mouthful of coffee and looked at her shelf for answers.

"I guess I take a break?" Hisui said with Karie chuckling along those words, placing a tray of snacks at Hisui's desk.

"I never would've thought that you would say those words."

"What can I do? My hands are tied, either because of resources, don't have enough personnel to support a policy, or simply because the city has no need for it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Hisui took a biscuit and took a nibble. "say I want to improve the health of the people, I can encourage check-ups by offering a reduced cost for people older or younger a certain threshold, however, we don't have the money to do that. The same problem happens with other things I came up with."

"What about taking a loan?"

"I rather not, let's just wait until next month. Until then, my work load will be more relaxed." Hisui stretched her arms. "I'm already done with the paper I have to do; would you like to recommend any activities?" Karie clasped her hands together.

"Shall I teach you how to do chores?"

Soon, they were walking in the market, looking for ingredients to cook with. Hisui looked at the market with unending curiosity; the haggling; constant shouting by store owners to promote their goods; the atmosphere overall was foreign to Hisui.

"Karie, what are those people doing?" Hisui looked in the direction of an arguing duo of customer and owner.

"I believe they were haggling and them it turned to a dispute."

"It's surprisingly fierce…"

"Don't get too relax when shopping in a market like this, people will try to sell you lower quality goods if you can't tell the difference. For reference, the stale smell of fish is usually an indicator of the fish not being fresh. Also, if the eyes of a fish is clear like it just died, then that's another sign of a fish being fresh."

"This strangely reminds me of home."

"Don't worry, only corrupted owners will try to do that. In general, most owners are friendly and will help you if you have a food related question. Some won't hesitate to recommend another stall to a customer, even if they're selling similar items. If you get used to it, it can be fun. I will say before we get started, your ability to read others is a skill that can be transferred in a situation like this."

"What are we buying for starters?"

"The ingredients we're buying are all easy to prepare, I will get some trickier ones as well. Since today is your first day cooking, I want you to get familiar with a knife. So, all you're doing for the day is chopping vegetables, the fun elements we'll save for later. It won't be bad to have Wendy-sama to come join us as well."

"You have no trust in me!"

"I didn't say that, come on Hisui-sama, the ingredients are waiting." Karie briskly walked off to visit a stall.

"But you're implying that. Also, don't distance yourself when it's convenient for you!" Hisui followed her servant, regretting somewhat about giving Karie so much freedom. Yet, Hisui was glad that she did, smiling as she said those words.

While Karie was teaching Hisui on how to distinguish good ingredients, from the bad ones, Hisui was soaking the vibe of market, seeing how it isn't a place she would visit often. And here is when Hisui learned of Karie's methodology of teaching. We the two is moving from stall to stall, Karie would ask different questions based in what she taught at random intervals; when Hisui thought Karie was going to ask one, she didn't. The situation happened vice versa, always striking when Hisui would least expect it. Whenever Hisui got the pop quiz wrong, Karie would tease Hisui about it.

* * *

During Karie's tenth playful remark, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw a girl with white, wavy hair sporting a perfect smile.

"Karie, it's nice to see you here."

"Mirajane-sama, you're out shopping as well?"

"Yes, I see you brought the Princess along as well. Hisui-sama, Lisanna was talking about you around the house."

"What did she say?" Hisui asked instantly, hearing that her friend was talking about her to someone else roused her interest.

"She said you're an interesting person to talk to. And at the same time, someone that gives out good advice. Perhaps more importantly, Lisanna said she's glad that she became friends with you."

"I see…"

"That's right! What are you two doing here?"

"Karie is teaching me how to cook."

"In that case, why don't you do it at my house? It closer than the dorms, Lisanna would love to help you as well."

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

"Don't worry about it, I welcome visitors. If it's alright with Karie that is."

"No problem."

"Then after we're done, I'll guide you there."

"Please do." The rest of the trip was Karie continuing with her lessons while Mirajane would add a few tips every now and then. It felt like having two older sisters for Hisui, both enjoyed making fun of Hisui's ignorance toward food and culinary practises, all the while patiently guiding Hisui through the tricks of the trade. When they were heading for Mirajane's house, Hisui noticed that she was the only one without a bag, her footsteps slowed while looking at the ground, kicking up the dirt as they walked along the stone bricks.

Arriving at Mirajane's house, Hisui noted that the design of the house was simple, having two floors and white walls like most other housing around the streets of Magnolia. Mirajane opened the door and urged the two to go inside. Once they took off their shoes, Hisui got a good look at the house. The clean wood floors spoke of diligence, while the furniture has simple designs as well, never having any complicated sculpting; only having two colours of paint at maximum. Sitting on the couch, was Lisanna talking happily to Lucy.

"I'm home!" Mirajane announced.

"Mira-nee welcome back! Oh! You brought Hisui and Karie-san. And you bought so much stuff, what's the occasion?"

"Hisui-sama is learning to cook."

"Really!? I can't wait to see how this turns out!"

"Lisanna-san, you're expecting me to mess up aren't you?"

"W—why would I think that? Right Lucy?"

"Y—yeah…"

"I see, I'll just have to prove it to you. That I'm not as incompetent as you all foresee me."

"Please don't worry," Karie commented. "Hisui is only cutting vegetables, the margin for error is quite small."

"Oh yeah, why is Hisui learning how to cook? I thought that Karie-san takes care of it?" Lucy asked.

"You never know what might happen, I may be too busy to care for her. If that happens I need to make sure that she can at least take care of herself."

"Can we help in any way?"

"Then, can I ask of you to keep an eye on Hisui? I'll be busy cooking lunch, so I won't be able to help her anytime she wants help."

"You can leave that to us!" "Count on us!"

"Karie, do you want me to help you with lunch?"

"If I'm not bothering you Mirajane-sama."

"How many times do I have to tell not to call me that? I'll forgive back at the market but, we've known each other long enough don't you think? Erza has been saying the same thing you know?"

"Forget about it," Hisui formed a playful smile. "it took me weeks before she got rid of the habit, and I reminded her multiple times in one day. Unfortunately, you'll have to bear with it for a while."

"I'm very sorry…"

"I'll forgive you once you kick the habit okay?"

"I'll do my best."

"Then, let's get started. Hisui is helping with chopping the carrots for the soup, spring onions for the eggs, garlic for the pasta, some tomatoes for the salad. If she wants to, we can have her cut the chicken as well. Lisanna, Hisui has never handled a knife before so, you need to teach her the basics."

"No problem!"

While Karie and Mirajane started immediately, Lucy and Lisanna was teaching Hisui knife safety before they got to any cutting. After running through the hazards of working with a knife, Lisanna took out two cutting boards; one for Hisui and other for Lucy. Lucy showed Hisui the cutting motion when chopping while Lisanna observed Hisui's mimicry. Finally, came cutting ingredients.

Starting with the carrots, Hisui is like an old engine when cutting, having trouble starting, once it does, the performance is subpar; makes lots of noise; doing a poor job at powering something; speeding up with use. Hisui's cuts were slow and clumsy, making the carrots have varying shapes and thicknesses, almost cutting herself in several occasions.

In midst of the busy work, Karie saw the laughing face of Hisui as she got tomato juice on her face, throwing a stalk at Lisanna for a joke aimed at Hisui's cutting skills.

"Looks like she's having fun." Mirajane said, whisking an egg.

"Thank You for arranging this, Hisui doesn't have much time to spend with her friends apart from when she comes back to the dorms. Even then, there are times when everyone is asleep."

"Don't worry about it, I'm just a meddling woman."

"Even so, your suggestion helped out a lot. She needed to spend more of her time doing this. And she knows it, it's a part of the reason why she's so efficient at finishing her work, Hisui just wants to have fun with friends. Her natural talent for the field helps tremendously of course. However, nothing else creates such a big drive in her."

"It seems like it was the right choice in moving to Fairy Tail."

"The perfect choice." The guardians looked at their respective loved ones fondly, enjoying the happiness they're experiencing. Hisui's radiant smile was a sight that's changing in rarity, A welcome change at that; rain ending a drought. Karie looked at Hisui one last time before getting back to work, knowing full well that one of her desires is fulfilled. The others may be tricky but, Karie will support Hisui on every step of the way.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! This is my way of balancing things out for the progression, a bit one-sided so far, so using up resources in an excuse to have one or two chapters that's more on the lines of relationship building and having Hisui take a break every now and then.**

 **Speaking of break, I do think this is where my writing limit is for now, I'm getting to the point where everything is starting to mash into one—same thing happened with my previous story. What I mean by that is most of my "Developments" is stupid simple, to an extent where it feels the same, kind of like putting a skin on a character and claiming that they are completely different. So, most likely, I'll move onto the more social aspects of this story, you can call it an arc if you want. However, that won't happen next chapter, rather soon-ish.**

 **Until then, I hope you enjoyed, have a nice day!**


	11. Chapter 11: Unorthodox Touring

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Birds chirping freely, with the crying of cicadas, they made a duet that will wake anyone up. Outperforming that, was a loud, obnoxious banging coming from the window, it tore pass the curtains and entered Hisui's ears. Following that was Hisui rolling out the bed to investigate the noise. Throwing the curtains open, Hisui was staring at pink, spiky hair; into a pair of black eyes. Before Hisui could process the perfect smile from her visitor, she opened the windows, not expecting the energy he was bringing.

"Natsu-san! What are you doing here?"

"I heard from Karie that you're free, is that true?"

"Yes, but, why do you ask?"

"Want to hang out?"

"I don't mind but, why all of the sudden?"

"I haven't showed you around the city yet!"

"Natsu-san, I've been around the city plenty of times. From looking at the maps for my project, I have a good idea of what the city looks like."

"That's different from checking it out yourself! Also, I can show you the places you haven't been to."

"For example?"

"Just come with me! It'll be fun!"

"Fine…only because I have nothing to do."

"Great! I'll wait for you outside, just don't take too long, for some reason, girls end up taking so long."

"Give me half an hour, I just woke up."

"Can't you make it ten minutes?"

"Have you seen my hair?"

"Just as great as usual, what's wrong with it?"

"No! Look how messy it is!"

"Fine, fine, sheesh." Hisui closed the windows and pulled back the curtains. She went inside the bathroom. Picking out a suitable outfit took the most effort in doing. Since she was dealing with Natsu, Hisui gather that a dress won't be the best idea. In its place, Hisui wore a pair of tan trousers and a white shirt with green sleeves. Hisui grabbed a sun hat before going to meet her escort.

"Sorry for making you wait."

"No proble—whoa!"

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, it's just that I've never seen you wear trousers and a shirt, you're always wearing a dress and everything."

"Then…what do you think?"

"You look great, it suits you. Though," Natsu threw his arms behind his head and started walking away. "I think dresses fit you more, you have this awesome feeling to it."

"That's a bit…vague."

"You coming or not?" Natsu asked after not hearing Hisui following his steps.

"Why are you in such a rush?" Hisui return having caught up to Natsu.

"I didn't get breakfast yet, also, it's been a while since I got up this early, a meal should wake me up!"

"Just so you know, I'm not paying for your portion."

"Don't worry about it, let's go!"

"Where to?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Natsu face turned to a confident smile. "To Fairy Tail. That's where I usually eat."

* * *

Hisui didn't think it was possible but, Natsu was a fun tour guide, during the trip to Fairy Tail, Natsu deviated from the normal path and into the woods. He showed Hisui the rivers where he normally fishes at, what fish you can find there, as well as sharing some stories that happened at the spot Natsu showed—all of them bringing a smile to Hisui's face or making her laugh at the silly tales. The animals came next in Natsu's road to Fairy Tail. Having lived near the wildlife for so long, Natsu caught a purple rabbit with a tiny horn effortlessly and presented it to Hisui.

"These guys may have horns, but they're pretty chill, pet him." Hisui didn't need to be given permission, the round brown eyes that looked at Hisui along with the tilted head already made her hand gravitate towards the rabbit's head. Her fingers sunk into the fur, brushing it aside as Hisui stroked the head. The bump of the rabbit's horn rubbed harmlessly against Hisui's palm. What melted Hisui's heart was the sound of content the animal released as Hisui's hand moved from the head to the back of the rabbit.

"Cute…"

"Want to hold him?"

"Is it okay?"

"Sure, just support his feet with one hand and you'll be fine. You ready?"

"Please go ahead." Natsu touched Hisui's hands, making a bridge for the rabbit to move across. Natsu encouraged the rabbit to move in Hisui's hand by giving it a light push. The rabbit sniffed Hisui's hands, moving to her arms after a while. Hisui rubbed a finger at the legs, poked its ears while trying to suppress her emotions.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Already?"

"Don't be like that, the little guy needs to eat too, I'm getting hungry."

"If I must…" Hisui knelt and released her hold on the rabbit, watching it disappear into the bushes.

"Don't cry."

"I'm not crying."

"Let's go then." Natsu was on the move again, leading Hisui through trees and weaving between bushes. Soon, they weren't kicking dirt and strolling along the streets of Magnolia, chatting as they saw Fairy Tail enlarging.

Natsu kicked the door of his guild opened while sporting a wide grin. Hisui however, was shocked at the man's violent actions.

"Good morning!" The response wasn't as lively compared to the other times Hisui visited the guild. Amount of people in the building was a lot less. "What's wrong guys? Why are you all so quiet?" Natsu pulled Hisui to a counter where Mirajane was tending while looking at his guildmates incredulously. The only one that wasn't unfazed was, Mirajane.

"Good morning Natsu, you're quite early today. I see you brought Hisui-sama."

"Yeah, I'm planning to show her around after we eat, can we have your pancakes real quick?"

"No problem, just wait here." Mirajane placed down her towel, pushing the kitchen doors open. A stove clicked on, the sound of Mirajane humming leaked out the kitchen. Natsu pulled out two seats and sat on one.

"Thank You."

"No problem, it shouldn't take too long for the food to come so, do you have any places you want to go?"

"If that's the case, then, can you take me to the lake? I haven't been there yet."

"Sure! But, are you sure? We're practically there already."

"That's not what I mean, I know that we're close, what I want to do is to relax at the banks of the lake, I hear that the view there is fantastic."

"If that's where you want to go then I don't mind. However, I choose the next spot after we go to the lake."

"No problem. In the first place, I'm bothering you by having you show me around. Though, I don't really need you to show me around anymore. Sorry for being so busy."

"I don't plan to show to the places in the city, unless you want me to. I'm showing you my favourite places to go."

"Then we'll have no problems."

"Thanks for waiting! Here you go, two sets of pancakes." Mirajane placed two plates of pancakes along with the knives and forks. "Take your time." She went back to cleaning and serving other guild members, leaving the two to their meals. Hisui delivered a small piece of the pancake to her mouth, enjoying the sponginess of the food; smiling at the ideal temperature; taking another bite after letting the sweetness of the syrup coat her tongue.

"Fantastic, I see why you eat here every day. "

"Right?" Natsu shoved an entire pancake in his mouth. "Hurry up!" Natsu said after swallowing his food.

"I can't, you're too quick, it's bad for you if you eat so quickly."

"But I'm fine after doing this for years."

"Just because it didn't hurt you now doesn't mean it won't in the future."

"You worry too much, you'll get wrinkles like gramps."

"I'm just trying to help. Fine, I won't worry about you, just don't let me hear you ask me for help."

"I was just kidding, man you're stiff."

" _I'm_ stiff!? Excuse me, but you're just too carefree! Why is it with you that—" Natsu popped a piece of pancake in Hisui's mouth.

"Calm down, will you?"

"Sorry…"

"All good, you ready to go now?"

"I'm still not done; can you wait for me a little while longer?"

"No problem." Hisui resumed her eating, unconsciously curling her lips upwards went she tasted the right amount of sweetness, eyes showing joy. Once Hisui placed down her knife and fork, Natsu asked: "Are you always like this when you eat good food?"

"Pardon?" Hisui drank a bit of water.

"I mean, you look really happy."

"I see, well that's something I would do when I'm in a good mood."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's a habit I do when I'm relaxed and there's nothing serious on my mind."

"Let's keep that up, you ready to go?"

"Yes."

"Hurry up then!" Natsu shot out of his chair and pulled Hisui along. They rushed pass the doors and flew across the stone bricks, quickly getting away from the buildings.

* * *

Natsu sat on slanted ground cover with grass and patted the spot next to him for Hisui to sit. Hisui sat and got a good look at the landscape in front of her eyes. Clear blue water that can soothe a raging storm. Out in the distance, a fence of trees met the blanket of blue. The summer winds twirled with her hair at her fringes, wiggled into her fatigue. On her left was the sight of civilisation, grey and full of activity. To her right, was more trees with the occasional animal head poking out of the foliage.

"Why did you want to some here?"

"It's a wish of mine from when I was a child."

"To go to a lake?"

"No, simply just to relax by a lake, I know it might seem like a strange wish of mine but, after hearing about it, I wanted to try it at least once."

"I don't think it's weird at all." Natsu rested his back on the grass. "I come here when I want some peace and quiet."

"I see what you mean, this place is peaceful."

"What do you think…about this city?"

"Why all of the sudden?"

"Just answer the question."

"It's a lovely city, if I wasn't a Princess…I would love to live here."

"Do you hate being a Princess?"

"Not at all, there are things that I rather not deal with. Seeing a city grow, knowing what I'm doing can help so many people, it's a scary job but, very rewarding if done right."

"Is that so…"

"There are times when I wish I can hide from the world, the burden is unbearable at times. And father's responsibilities are heavier than mines."

"Sorry, I made you think of something bad."

"It's fine, I'm used to it."

"That doesn't mean it's a good thing." Natsu jumped up and showed Hisui a confident smile. "I got just the thing. It's my turn to pick a spot, right?"

"It is, where are we going?" Hisui got up and brushed herself off.

"My favourite spot, it won't take long from here. Just follow me." Natsu led Hisui into the woods again, keeping up their small talk as they snapped twigs and buried leaves. Since Hisui found nothing interesting in the path, she turned her attention to Natsu, watching the pink hair shake side-to-side; his scarf that looks soft and inviting; his muscle movements when Natsu steps over a rock or when he held a branch and waited for Hisui to pass. It was a strange feeling for Hisui, the servants will do the same thing for her. The difference was that they did it out of obligation—save Karie and Arcadios—Natsu was helping her just because they were friends, that's what mades it hard for Hisui to process.

They went up a steep incline, a path showed itself unlike having be the guide. The path was small, only made by one person. Everything else was cleared out, stumps and charred bushes told Hisui of the process.

"You made this yourself?"

"Yup, it was a pain to dodge so much stuff every time, so I got rid of it. Oh yeah, we got a pretty long walk ahead, let me know if you want to rest."

"I'll be fine." Hisui looked ahead and saw how long the path stretches before she saw the end of the path—where ground kisses the sky. "I think."

"Just let me know alright? Now's not the time to be stubborn."

"Why didn't you start the path higher up the hill?"

"I was a kid, I thought it would be cool to have this path to the sky kind of thing. In a way, it helped with my stamina, it's big workout for a kid you know? It's a piece of cake for anyone in the guild now!"

"Well I don't get as much exercise as you people."

"How about this then?" Natsu got behind Hisui and started to push her up the ramp. "Stop resisting, relax, or you'll just get more tired, let me do the work."

"Surely, there is a better way?"

"Not really. I can carry you."

"I rather not."

"See? Just keep going, it'll be worth it."

"If you say so."

Walking up a steep path under the hot sun looking straight down on the two wasn't a good experience for Hisui, she started sweating profusely half-way up the journey, making her hair cling to her skin. The bright lights entering her eyes was making it worse. That came to a sudden halt when a large shadow filled with holes covered Hisui. Looking behind her, Hisui saw a grinning Natsu holding up a branch while maintaining his push with one hand.

"You should see it soon. Look ahead." Houses peaked from the cliff lip, growing numerous and breath-taking. They were the size of fists at the back, barely bigger than a head at the front. Rows upon rows of houses shone with magnificence as they reflected the sun's light. "I always come here when I get down, doesn't it make you feel better looking at the city from above?"

"It's…beautiful…"

"At night is when it gets awesome. But, I don't think you should come here at night, you don't know what you might run into. If you really want to see it, bring Karie along."

"Can I…ask you?"

"Sure but, I might not be free, or at the guild."

"I'm busier than you."

"I guess. Hisui, when you fell down, come over here, you'll feel better right away."

"Are you sure?"

"If it helps a friend."

"Thank You." Hisui turned back to the city, trying to pinpoint famous landmarks from up high, spotting her office, Fairy Tail. All the while, Hisui was taking pleasure of the warmth in her heart, not forgetting who brought it to her.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **I'm really considering dropping this story, it seems like not much people care for it, I learned what I can from it, though I could try to push a bit further to see what else I can pick up. And after that, I most likely won't write another story for a while unless I got a good idea. If I do end up dropping it, I will post all the chapters I've been saving up on, it's like three chapters.**

 **But until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, have a nice day!**


	12. Chapter 12: Turmoil

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

"And that should do it for today, all the paper work that is,"Hisui placed down her pen and handed the papers she just signed to Karie. "we should expect courses on arts and craft, language, culinary arts and music available soon in community centres."

"Even when you're supposed to be taking it easy…" Karie took the documents shakily, making sure not to meet Hisui's eyes.

"I am, just because I can't organise anything large-scale doesn't mean I can't complete my standard duties as the mayor, besides, for this one, Daisy-san did most of the work, I just have go through her reports and sign the papers needed."

"I suppose," Karie placed the paper down on a table, stacking them neatly before tucking them under her arm. "have you heard of the word on the streets?" Karie opened the doors of Hisui's office slowly.

"And that is?"

"That some parts of the city is getting…" Karie dropped to the floor, letting the papers cascade to a rose of disorder.

"Karie!?" Hisui nearly tripped over herself on her way to the fallen maid. "What's wrong!?"

"I'm sorry…but…it seems like…I caught some sort of…sickness…please…stay away from…me"

"What are you saying at a time like this!? That's right, doctor…wait right here, I'll call a doctor!" Hisui's shoes clattered noisily on the floor, her eyes darts back and forth, cursing herself for not memorising the city map clearly. "Daisy-san! Do you know where the nearest doctor is!?" Hisui called out to a woman with bleaching hair and kind blue eyes.

"What happened?"

"Karie is sick, do you where can I find a doctor?"

"That's terrible! Wait a second, I'll call Kent." Hisui could only pray as she watched Daisy speed down the corridor and enter a room. Standing in the corridor for a while, Hisui returned to her office—silent footsteps and a growing dread accompanied her.

Seeing her friend in a collected yet, unstable manner allowed Hisui to take in the laboured breathing, lifeless complexion and trembling limbs of Karie as she tried to get up.

"What are you doing!? Stop moving, someone will take us home soon." Seeing that her words had no effect, Hisui's voice became stern. "That's an order. Karie, if you care about me, please just sleep and get some rest." Once Karie drifted to sleep, trouble formed in Hisui's head. "How do I get her back?"

"I thought I smelled something bad, it was Karie." Natsu walked in while supporting Happy's weight on his head.

"How does that even work?"

"Shut up."

"Natsu-san, what do I do?"

"For starters, buddy."

"Aye." Happy flew away from Natsu.

"Now, we get her back home." Natsu placed Karie on his back with ease. "Hisui, tell a doctor to come to Fairy Hills."

"But, you might catch what Karie has."

"Don't worry," Happy reassured. "idiots don't get sick." Feeling Natsu's stare, Happy corrected himself as fast as he could. "W—well, more like, Natsu doesn't get sick because of his body temperature, so Levy said. Though, I'm sure it's because that Natsu's motion sick counters the other stuff he gets."

"If you say so, I'll tell Daisy-san what happened."

* * *

Hisui was sitting in the lobby of Fairy Hill waiting for the doctor's analysis—helpless to do anything and anxious for information—refusing to think of the worse, anytime that she did, Hisui tore her focus to something else. She tried to read a book, only to slam the pages together before a line was read.

"Hisui-sama, I apologise for having you to wait." A balding man came down from the stairs and took a seat across Hisui.

"How is she?"

"She's showing the same symptoms as my other patients well, there is an outbreak after all."

"Outbreak?"

"You haven't heard? Some parts of the city is being plagued by a sickness like the one that's affecting Karie-san."

"Is it life-threatening?"

"That, I can't say for certain, I simply don't have enough information. If I must give an opinion, I don't think it's life threatening."

"What do you think is the cause? Why is this spreading?"

"Magnolia is a lively city, it's not surprising that people will stay together, that just helps spread the disease. However, I will say that a reason why it's spreading faster that others is because of the…recent happenings."

"It's my fault isn't it? Please don't sugar-coat it, my constructions and hiring citizens is making people clump together. And since those people come from different parts of the city, they became the catalyst for several outbreaks in the city."

"Most likely, and…since some people don't have jobs until Hisui-sama's plans, they wanted to take advantage of it as much as possible. They chose not to rest and continued working."

"And what of Karie? How did she get sick?"

"Things like this can't just be predicted and given an explanation. Though if I much voice my opinion, I think that she was unlucky."

"I see…when will she get better? Can it be cured?"

"From what I can gather so far, a healthy person should have no problems fighting the disease, I can't guarantee it since I don't know what will happen later on, it's similar to some viruses I'm familiar with but, at the end of the day, it's still different. However, I believe that Karie-san will get better, it's only a matter of time."

"Thank You."

"Contact me if anything changes, be careful yourself Hisui-sama, you might catch it." The doctor gripped on his cane and started to leave the dorms.

"I will."

"I'll deliver the prescription later, be sure that she takes it."

"Thank You." A clack rang through the lobby, Hisui sighed and looked up the stairs. "Levy-san, can you look after Karie until I get back? I'm going out for a walk."

"Okay! Come back soon, you might get sick if you stay out too long."

"I won't." Hisui put on her shoe and walked outside. "No one is going to be there." Hisui followed the road until she came across the point where she needs to deviate from the regular path, and into the woods. She continued walking down the pathless route Natsu guided her through—using the amusing names Natsu gave to certain landmarks as a guide. Her steps were steady, careful not to tear the dress she's wearing. Hisui's caution stop once she stepped foot on a straight path cleared by her guide from before. Taking a deep breath, Hisui made her first move on the incline.

Without Natsu to help her, Hisui was having a harder time. When she slipped, he wasn't there to support her. When she was tired, he wasn't there to push her. When she was attacked by the sun, he wasn't there to provide shade. However, these didn't discourage Hisui at all, her steps were consistent throughout the journey, determined and vivacious. Hope and trust carried her—both spawning from the words Natsu said.

The large buildings hit her first, then the small ones, before merging together into a uniform piece of art. The vastness of the city was as awe-inspiring as before only that, seeing the construction sites brought guilt to Hisui's heart. A contradictory feeling rose from her heart again.

"While I did say you can come here when you're down, I didn't expect that you'll be back so soon."

"Natsu-san…Th—thank You for helping Karie."

"No problem, I was just in the right place at the right time."

"Natsu-san…I…caused all this…Karie got sick because of me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I increased the population density in certain areas, so I effectively made it easy for—"

"I don't really get the complicated stuff so, save it. All you need to know is that you shouldn't worry about what happened."

" _Shouldn't worry?_ I just got my friend sick and you're telling me to brush that away? Natsu-san, I misjudged your character I didn't think that it's possible for me—"

"Just listen alright? I didn't mean that you should just ignore what you did, I mean that, you should stop beating yourself up when you could be doing something else. Like helping Karie."

"What can I do? I'm useless."

"Have you been looking at the streets? I hear them you know, what people say about you. They all love you, they're glad at what you've been doing. Look back at the city, the building sites."

"Why?"

"Just do it." Hisui felt guilty again seeing the scaffolding the size of toothpicks. "What do you see?" Natsu's voice was soft.

"My mistakes, I was too focused on infrastructure and didn't think about the ramification of my actions."

"Wrong."

"How can you say such a thing? I was over-aggressive and now the citizens are suffering."

"You're looking at your accomplishments."

"You're making fun of—"

"Like I said! I've been hearing about what they're saying about you. They're thankful in what you've been doing, they're taking pride in the job you've given them, they're doing their best at finishing the school and the station. If you're calling those your mistakes, _You're_ the one that's making fun of people!" Natsu's intense stares was burning at away at Hisui's nerves. The overbearing anger made Hisui that a step, she realised that she did misread Natsu—he's terrifying. "If you're tossing way the hard work of those people, I won't forgive you!" A suffocating feeling gripped Hisui's heart, his eyes was turning her body to ashes. Tears streamed down her face, Hisui dropped to the ground, covering her face.

"So—sorry…I didn't think…" Her fear evaporated once a comforting and protective warmth entered her—safeguarding her from the anxiousness.

"Forgive me, I went too far. I'm not good with words so, I end up saying things out of line." His harsh words left behind a caring tone. "I didn't mean to do those things. Can you…forgive me? I was trying to say that you should take pride in what you've been doing, I ended up saying those things.

"I also wanted you to stop beating yourself up and focus on the things that matter more. When I'm on a job and I mess up, I make sure I finish the job first, reflecting comes later. What I'm trying to say is…worry about this stuff after we're through this mess."

"You're right." Hisui gripped onto Natsu's shoulders to meet his eyes, relieved that the fires have extinguished. "You're terrible with words." Hisui wiped away her tears, trying to form her best smile.

"You're not mad?"

"I could never be mad at someone that had good intentions but executed poorly. Moreover, I don't think I can ever be mad at you." Hisui got up and brushed herself off. "However, I will have you accompany me for a while."

"Where to?"

"Although your words were scary, they did make me realise that I shouldn't be moping around. You'll be helping me with taste testing."

* * *

The smell of spices and cooking ingredients mingled in the air, wetting Natsu's appetite. The sound of Hisui's knife colliding with the chopping board was varied from slow to fast; firm to hesitant; soft to hard. Hisui place the ingredients in a pot, stirring it before closing the lid.

"You can cook?"

"I'm still learning."

"When will it be done?"

"That's…something I'm not too sure of…"

"Should I call Mira over?"

"It'll be meaningless if I ask for help, this is something I'm going to do alone, with you being the taster of course. On that note, can you check to see if Karie has woken up? If she did, make her take the medicine and have her sleep again." Hisui pointed to the bags of pills and tablets sitting on a table.

"Sure."

When Hisui finally lifted the lid with a bandaged hand, she took a sniff of her cooking. Knowing that nothing smelt burnt, Hisui tasted it—frowning at her imperfect imitation. Hisui handed a small dish for Natsu to try.

"What do you think?"

"Salty."

"You think so too?"

"Yup."

"I won't give up."

"Good luck."

"Thank You."

With a tray in Hisui's hands with her creation and a spoon sitting on it, she steadily climbed up the stair to Karie's room, wondering how she carried a tray with one hand. Hisui reached Karie's room without spilling anything.

"Karie? Are you up?"

"I am, come in." Karie's hoarse and weak voice sunk deep in Hisui's mind as she struggled to balance the tray with one hand while opening the door with the other. Hisui found her friend with a close book on her lap, still looking frail as when she first collapsed.

"Did you take your medicine?"

"I did."

"Good." Hisui set the tray on Karie's night stand. Karie's main focus wasn't the bowl to her left, it was Hisui's bandaged hands.

"This is?"

"Soup, I made it for you, you must be hungry right?"

"Just to be sure, you did taste it right? Or did you receive help?"

"How rude! I'll have you know that Natsu-san is laying outside with a full stomach."

"That's doesn't help me feel at ease…wait, you should be avoiding contact with me."

"The window is open."

"That doesn't mean that you should stay close to me, the last thing I want is to have you come down with my illness."

"Enough with your worrying, just eat." Hisui lifted the lid to her bowl of soup. Seeing it make Karie's suspicion rise. The carrots were poorly cut—some weren't peeled properly—varying in sizes. The same situation with the celery expect that some celeries weren't severed well, leaving pieces sticking to each other with one or two strands of fibre. It was the worst with the onions, seeing the disfigured vegetables reminded Karie that she didn't teach Hisui how to cut onions. From what Karie can tell, the chicken was relatively fine, but she developed a theory on why that is the moment she saw the soup.

"For someone that just started cooking, it could be worse."

"You're not holding back…"

"Presentation aside, the taste is more important." Karie picked up the spoon and scooped Hisui's creation with a shaky hand. In the same motion, Karie served the soup to her mouth.

"What do you think?"

"Passible I guess."

"All that work just for that? Cooking sure is rough."

"That's just me as a maid that's talking. If you're asking Karie Vidal however, it's perfect."

"What do you mean?"

"While presentation and taste are important, the feelings that a dish is trying to convey is the most vital. In that regard, nothing else can compare, what's speaking to my heart right now is making me glad that I'm serving you, it really makes all those hours worth it. Moreover, a servant like me tasting her master's cooking is already something outrageous, for it to be directed to me and no one else, that's something very special." Karie's smile was filled with gratitude. "Thank You, it was delicious."

"You're welcome…" Karie drank another mouthful of soup. "when you get better, can you help me satisfy the other part of you?"

"Of course, seeing you grow is one of my greatest pleasures. Though it makes me feel uneasy at the same time."

"Don't worry, no matter how much I change, I'll still be the same hopeless girl that needs her maid to take care of things for her."

"If that's the case, I'm glad."

"Karie, do you think, mother will enjoy my cooking?"

"Without a doubt."

"It's strange isn't it? Our relationship."

"Why do you say that?"

"I mean, you're my servant, best friend, big sister and in a way, a second mother."

"Caroline-sama will get sad hearing you say that."

"She won't, because I'm sure she feels the same."

"Hearing you say that, makes this soup even better you know?"

"Consider it as a bonus for all the times you took care of me, before and after."

"What a large bonus it is then." Karie finished the soup. "Are there seconds?" Hisui smiled.

"Plenty."

* * *

Over the course of three days, Magnolia mutated into a completely different city, worry plagued the air. As if a towel covered the area, the liveliness was smothered; no one exchanged words unless it was mandatory—they were afraid to. Despite the sun, in the eyes of the people, it might as well be raining. Amid this crisis, Hisui was in her room looking at the future, ways to prevent the same thing from happening: cheap vaccination, hygiene education, frequent street cleaning. Two clear knocks from the door followed by it's opening.

"Hisui, you shouldn't work too hard, you need to rest properly, or you'll get sick 's like me." Karie's black hair showed no signs of maintenance, her voice was noticeably deeper, and her speech gets interrupted by coughing.

"What did I say about getting rest? You're getting better but, that doesn't mean you should be out of your bed."

"I'm here to remind you that you need to rest well, I ended up like this because I didn't take enough breaks. Plus, walking next-door isn't too taxing for me."

"That doesn't help at all. Now go back to bed, you're making me worry."

"Just promise me you'll rest."

"I was planning to after this book."

"Then, please wake me when lunch is ready."

"I will." The book Hisui closed masked the sound of the door closing, and Hisui's sigh covered the click of the door knob. She placed her book on the night stand next to her bed. Stacking away the other books in a neat pile, Hisui set them on the ground and sprawled on the bed, staring at the shell white ceiling, noticing the small stains left behind from the previous occupant. Hisui repeated the dance of picking up and putting down the book on her nightstand. Finally, Hisui stood up and started stripping her clothes off, eyes set on a shower door.

As the cold water streamed off her bare skin, Hisui's mind cleared. Her back shivered when her hair guided the water. She examined the closing cut wounds from her poor knife handling, the burns on her fingertips healed on the day she finished cooking for Karie. All the while, Hisui was thinking about the events that happened within the past three days, for once, Hisui thought that Karie's prophesy of Hisui's hair becoming white would come true. She was thankful that didn't come true, her green hair was a gift from her mother, they were something that Hisui wouldn't trade for anything.

Coming out the shower, Hisui dried and dressed up in the relaxing environment of her room. Swiping away the curtains, light illuminate the room, giving her a good look at her cuts again. She smiled imagining Arcadios's reaction if he were to see the small, pink cuts the stood out from her pale skin. This time, there's no chance her getting hurt again—the others won't let her cook without supervision.

"Karie, lunch is ready." Hisui announced, accompanied by a few knocks on a door. The door opened smoothly and Hisui pushed in a trolley filled with food that flooded the room with different scents, drawing Karie's appetite.

"Sorry, to have you bring it to me."

"Don't worry, I'm the closest to you after all."

"You didn't cut or burn yourself, did you?"

"No, I was only allowed to cut ingredients. Even then, Levy was watching over me."

"Shame…no, I suppose it's good that you don't waste money."

"You're the one that was happily eating my soup a few days ago."

"I already said it back then, it wasn't the taste, it was symbolic and filled with emotions that made me enjoy the meal."

"If that's the case, hurry up and get better."

"Even if I did teach you how to cook more proficiently, I'm not as shameless as to have my master cook for me, my pride as an experienced maid will be for nothing. Not to mention my years of training."

"Just eat before the food gets cold."

"Our roles truly have reversed."

"Don't get used to it, I'm useless in your position."

"Then I really do have to get better."

"Please do."

As if it didn't exist at all, the disease that cursed and spread all over the city disappeared after another two days. To most, that was a sign to rejoice, to Hisui, it was the signal to prevent the same thing from happening again, she was behind her desk, pouring her time into books and more papers for a reasonable solution that she didn't think of. Currently, Hisui was writing a letter to consult a doctor, finding out what is suitable hygienic knowledge to teach the citizens. Though Magnolia does have basics of hygiene, Hisui is planning on reinforcing the knowledge. Hisui has started increasing the frequency of street cleaning, in the end, Hisui doesn't have much information on how a disease in spread, so she decided to cast a large net to help with the situation.

Usually, it was the sun that told Hisui to the go home. Following the orange sky turning pink, Hisui packed away her things and left the office. Karie and Hisui walked home in silence, the latter was looking at the sky, more specifically, the pink hue was reminding Hisui of Natsu's assistance.

"Did something good happen? You look overjoyed."

"It's nothing that dramatic, I was just grateful for what Natsu-san had done for me. Honestly, if he hasn't talked to me back then, I wouldn't have recovered as quickly as I did."

"Natsu-sama again huh? He really has been helping us out."

"Yes, he's surprisingly meddlesome."

"I would say it's the best kind of meddling." Hisui's lips furthered into a bigger smile, one filled with mystery and appreciation.

"Yes, yes it is."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry if this chapter feels really jumpy and too fast, it was planned to be two chapters but, I couldn't think of enough content to fill in two chapters. I also apologise if my line of logic seems a bit weird, but hey, that's why I write stories like these, to learn.**

 **Since I do want to get this story over with soon, due to it feeling like every chapter following a template, I will hopefully speed things up and have less focus on the city and more on the socialising, just so I can get a happy end without me losing my mind.**

 **Much like the last time this happened: the chapters blending into same thing. I lost interest in the story pretty quickly and it's happening now. Unlike my last story however, I won't make promises on seeing this story to the end, I will try my best on doing it don't you worry.**

 **A big lesson I learned is that I didn't plan nearly enough to write this kind of story, most likely why I feel so unsatisfied with it. Maybe I'll re-visit it in the future but, the chances aren't too great mainly because it seems like not much people is interested in it.**

 **And before you say that I should be writing for the passion and expressing myself—all that good stuff. At the end of the day, I don't want to dump a bunch of time into something that not many people care about. If I do write something more people are in to, there will be more tips and advice for me to grow from, now the tricky part is to do that and stand out from the crowd.**

 **Thanks for reading my ramblings(if you did anyway), and Thank You for reading the chapter! I hope you enjoyed, until then, have a nice day!**


	13. Chapter 13: Going Back Home

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Hisui's schedule has opened up considerably, as the constructions are still going underway—only a handful of schools have been completed—Hisui decided to use her time on either minor adjustment to the city or spend time with her friends. Currently, it was the latter. Hisui was sitting with her friends, chatting away at Fairy Tail over tea until she remembered an important message from her father.

"You're leaving for the capital? Why?" Lisanna asked Hisui.

"I assume that father has something to ask of me, he didn't disclose anything concrete. I think it's about time to, I haven't visited in three months."

"That's true, you went back twice in the nine months you've been here?"

"Including tomorrow, it'll be three."

"Do you need anyone to go with you?" Erza asked.

"No, I don't think it'll be a problem, Karie has grown very strong with your guidance."

"I didn't do much, Karie is capable to begin with, I only sparred with her."

"That aside," Levy closed her book and faced Hisui "how long do you have to be away for?"

"I'm not too sure, I don't think it'll be longer than a day, I don't have anything major planned, it was father that summoned me."

"I got an idea! Why don't you show your father that you can cook now!"

"But, Karie reports lots of things to father, I'm not sure if she has told him that I've learned how to cook." Hisui looked at Karie for answers.

"Don't worry, I didn't tell Toma-sama, when you first started, I didn't want to worry him or Arcadios-sama since you hurt yourself. As time went on, I forgotten about it."

"Then let's think of something to give him!" Lisanna suggested with vigour. "It's got to be something that can be eaten at any time, Hisui won't have time to re-heat it. Easy to carry…oh yeah! Does the King have any dislikes in food?"

"Father isn't picky with food as far as I know."

"That makes things much easier, girls what do you have in mind?"

"How about a cake then?" Erza lifted her plate with a slice of her favourite cake. "It can be carried for without worry for the temperature, of course, the taste is top-notch."

"Erza, the train trip and a carriage ride might ruin the presentation."

"A salad then?" Lucy pointed out.

"The fresher, the better. But, Hisui is travelling for a while, not to mention that a salad doesn't represent Hisui's cooking skills much."

"How about some biscuits?" Mirajana suggested, topping off everyone's drinks. "It's easy to carry, adding variety can suggest Hisui's skill, you don't have to worry about it getting soggy if you pack it correctly. Plus, they're a great snack to have at any time."

"Mira-nee, you're a genius! Let's go buy the ingredients now!" Lisanna pulled Hisui got of her seat, leaving Karie to silently follow the two.

* * *

Compared to when Hisui just started her job as the mayor, it was like two different worlds, curious staring became joyous greetings; distant actions became friendly gestures; blind following became wholehearted support. Hisui followed the path she's long been familiar with to shops.

"What kind should we make?" Lisanna picked two bags of flour and weighed the two with an expert eye. "Do we go with something more simple? Or something tougher?"

"Can we have a combination of both?"

"Sure, we'll just have to get a bit more ingredients." Before long, Karie was carrying two bags of ingredients, heading to Lisanna's house with her as the guide. "Are you sure you don't want me to carry a bag for you?"

"No problem, these bags aren't that heavy. It's also my job to do so. We're grateful that you're lending us your kitchen."

"Don't worry about that, we're always happy to receive guests, it's more fun that way. Don't forget to take your shoes off." Lisana fished out her keys and opened the doors, pushing her guests inside before turning on the lights. "It's been a while since you two came here but, nothing changed much, you still remember where the toilet is right?" Lisanna took the bags off Karie's hands and placed them on a kitchen counter, quickly washing her hands shortly after.

"We'll manage." Hisui said.

"You two wash your hands first, I'll take out the cooking equipment." Lisanna said, drying her hands with a towel.

It wasn't long until the smell of fresh biscuit was released from the oven, filling the entire kitchen with nuts, butter, laced with the hint of chocolate. Hisui took a pair of oven mittens and pulled the tray of baked goods. She took three biscuits from the batch of biscuits and handed one to Karie and Lisanna. Lisanna bit half of the biscuit while Karie took a nibble, Hisui didn't touch hers until her friends gave their comments.

"Delicious!" "Full marks."

"Really?"

"Take a bite yourself!" Lisanna urged. Hisui took a hesitant bite, she broke through the warm biscuit that was tempting her nose, the slight sweetness of chocolate along with the correct amount of butter drew a smile to Hisui's lips. It wasn't the snack that was the most enjoyable, it was the burst of happiness that wrapped around Hisui like a blanket.

"No problems, I think father will enjoy this."

"But still, your cooking really has improved."

"I wish I can say the same with other chores, I can't seem to get used to cleaning."

"That's just because you don't have much practise, Karie does most of it."

"That's the same thing with cooking! I have around the same time with other chores and cooking."

"You're really selling yourself short, Karie told me you've been practicing when everyone else is sleeping."

"How did you know that? I thought Karie was asleep."

"You didn't really don't much awareness when you're focusing on something." Karei provided. "I've known you for long time now, I don't think it's too difficult to think that I can pretend to sleep to find out what you were doing so late at night."

"Anyway." Lisanna said. "I think you put more time into cooking because cooking is more fun than moping floors or polishing windows. Most people I know hate cleaning."

"Natsu seems to be the most extreme case."

"Hisui, you've been to Natsu's house?"

"Just once by myself, and another time with Karie. Karie got really angry at Natsu. I don't think I've ever seen Karie that angry, she's usually got a good control over her emotions."

"You can't blame me." Karie said meekly. "I was shocked to see how messy his house was."

"He's always been like that since we were kids. I guess I got used to it so it doesn't bother me anymore."

"Lisanna, do you have a box I can put these in?" Hisui pointed to the tray of biscuits.

"Sure, there should be one in the drawer to your left." Hisui's hand wandered to a drawer and stopped there. "Yeah that one."

"Thank You for helping me, I wouldn't be able to bake these by myself." Hisui said, organising each biscuit into different piles and placing them in a transparent container.

"Don't mention it, I'm glad that I can help. You don't have to return that, we have plenty, we can't use them all."

"I can't do that, I'll give it back to you after we come back."

"I'll be waiting."

* * *

Hisui was looking out the train window, allowing the wind to brush her hair from the small gap she opened. The mountains that would claw out from the forests was a sight that rouses Hisui's sense of exploration, something that wasn't fully satisfied just by wandering in the streets when Hisui was just a child. A box wrapped in red cloth sat on Hisui's lap, while Hisui was drinking a glass of water. Opposite to Hisui, Karie's attention was directed to Hisui's hair that was waving to the wind.

"You know, we'll have to tidy your hair up before we meet Toma-sama."

"It won't take that long. In any case, I haven't heard from Arcadios in a while, have you heard anything about him?"

"No I haven't, I assume that he's still training recruits as hard as he's always been doing."

"That does sound like him."

"Have you received notice at what happened to your admirers?"

"Which ones?" Hisui relied with a frown.

"John and Richard."

"What about them?" All of the sudden, Hisui's glass of water tasted stale and rusty.

"They requested to see you."

"Absolutely not!"

"I thought as much, that's why I dismissed it when I received the request from the mail."

"Did they mention the reason?"

"Not particularly, it did come with a handwritten letter, I hope you don't mind that I read it."

"No, I don't, what did it say?"

"From what I can gather, it seemed like a childish love letter, not like the ones you showed me before. This one is…ugly and desperate."

"I am interested to know what an actual letter written by them would look like."

"Unfortunately, I disposed of it after reading, forgive me."

"Good job." Seeing the city coming into view, Karie opened her purse.

"Should I prepare some flowers when we arrive?"

"No need, I'm afraid I might end up like last time, I don't want father to see me in a weak state."

"Are you sure?"

"Not exactly but, I'm sure it'll be for the best, I want mother to be proud of me when I visit her, I haven't done anything worth talking about lately."

"You really are a slow daughter huh? Caroline-sama will get mad."

"Aren't you getting comfortable with your position?"

"You gave it to me." Karie broke into a playful smile.

"I reap what I sow I guess."

"Don't say it in a bad way, aren't you glad that we opened up?"

"For as much pain as it gives me, yes."

Walking back on her home ground is always a lovely experience for Hisui, this time, it was amplified by the long-time way from Crocus that almost made Hisui want to walk to the palace. That was of course, shut down after a few seconds of thinking. Before long, Hisui was seated comfortably to her way to the palace.

"Do you have any idea why father called me here so suddenly?"

"No, I'm afraid, I don't."

"Even with all the reports you handed to him?"

"We'll just have to find out ourselves."

"Hisui. You've really done great for the pass nine months as a mayor." The King sat on his throne announced with pride that only Hisui could pick up. "It wasn't a mistake at all for me to send you to Magnolia, I'm sure you've honed your skills as well as learned a few if, these biscuits really were made by you." Toma happily placed another pastry in his mouth.

"I still have ways to go, while I did make those, I received help from friends and Karie." Hisui replied. "But, father why did you suddenly summon me here on such short notice?"

"Ahh about that, you're here to listen to your test results. Congratulations, you passed."

"Really!?"

"Of course!" The king chuckled heartily. "If I don't acknowledge your new schools, health improvements, various minor plans such as increased scholarship quota and monetary rewards, happier citizens and more! I would be a failure as a King. And I didn't include your outrageous railroad network. You did well, I'm proud of you. Of course, your mother would be as well, I have a good idea on what you can achieve as the next ruler."

"Thank You…"

"Now, back to business." Toma's fatherly tone took a serious shift, just enough to let Hisui know that the next topic is important, but not so much as to abandon his title as 'Father'. "Hisui, it's time for you to come back to the capital."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry for the shorter chapter, I couldn't think of what to add without seeming like I'm writing nonsense.**

 **So this will be the beginning of the end of an 'arc'. Long story short, I'm having a hard time in trying to develop an already well-off city. In stead, I will be focusing more on Hisui's social life and her relationships. There still will be the city developments, just not as much as there used to. For that reason, I can ask for chapter ideas again! So, if you have any ideas or cool scenarios, please send them my way.**

 **Another thing I can do is just end the story by the next chapter. However, I don't think I'll be doing that because It feels incomplete if I do that. Also, since I'm focusing less on the city, hopefully I'll have an easier time in write thus, get my interest in this story back.**

 **That's all I got for now, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, have a nice day!**


	14. Chapter 14: Her Decision

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

Hisui hoped that she heard wrong—that she was sleepy. She wished that her father forgot some words. She yearned that she was having nightmare. As clear as the cloudless sky, Toma's words shattered Hisui's composure, hammer to glass. Hisui's mind was picking those pieces up, trying to fix what was gone.

"P—pardon?" Hisui tried to keep her legs straight, only to come out wobbly—something that was well concealed under her dress.

"It's time for you to come home."

"Father…you're…joking…right?"

"I'm not, I already found another mayor to govern Magnolia, I can arrange a meeting with him later, he's busy preparing his speech you see." Karie watched uncomfortably in the side-lines, slowly moving to Hisui.

"But…father, I'm not finished with that place…there's so much things for me to…do."

"That's why I'm planning on having you meet the next mayor, you can relay your plans then."

"That's not what I meant…"

"What do you mean then?"

"I…I worked so hard, hours on reading, planning, going on meetings, consulting experts. After all that…you can't expect me to move back so suddenly. I don't want to…what about my friends?"

"Hisui, at times like this, you mustn't be so selfish, this is also another part of being a good ruler, you need to learn how to let things go."

"Haven't I been selfless this whole time!? Ever since I took up my duties, I neglected my health, I turned down invitations for leisure, I forsaken my own happiness for my duty! Can't I…can't I be selfish this one time?"

"At the end of the day, Crocus is your home, you can't be too attached to other places, Hisui, will you come back?" Temptation gripped Hisui, to let her fires reduce her father's request to nothing.

"I wo—I understand…please give me some time for me to pack."

"Thank You for understanding."

"Karie, we're leaving."

"Hisui." Her father's voice stopped Hisui at the door. "I'm sorry." Hisui didn't reply and pushed the door open.

For the first time, Hisui didn't want to keep her back straight. Under the heavy information just relayed to her, Hisui wanted to run away, to cry and beg that the tears will carry away her troubles. However, walking along the corridor, Hisui's figure was dignified—subtly shaking—a faint smile greeted the servants and guards she passed. For the first and last time, Hisui hated her duty.

"Hisui, can I speak to you now?" Karie gently asked, the rocking of the carriage stole even more of her voice.

"Did you know?"

"I won't act ignorant, I know you would hate me even further. I did."

"Why didn't you tell me!?" Karie broke eye contact seeing Hisui's tearing face—the eyes that demanded answers. "Karie!"

"I'll accept any punishment."

"What will that do? I'm still leaving…"

"If it makes you feel better, you can take it out on me."

"I'll just feel worse afterwards, not only am I leaving, I'm punishing someone that wasn't a part of it."

"Hisui, you knew that this was bound to happen, at one point, you will have to leave."

* * *

Arriving at Magnolia, Hisui broke away from Karie, putting strength in her strides, ignoring the peoples greetings and making a path for herself with presence alone. Those who saw the Princess's face regretted and watched her lonely figure fade into the crowd.

A hasty turn to the left; down the barren streets where few people have any business there; in a forest that emits no sound; solitude isn't often with Hisui but, ever since leaving the train, it has a strong pull to her—she must be alone. Therefore, Hisui went deep in the forest and came across a well-shaded pond slightly bigger than a running track.

It was like running into an empty stadium, confusing and a bit eerie. In the water, nothing but pebbles and sand. Along the banks lacked any life as well, letting Hisui sit by the waters without objection. Looking at the still water, clear like glass. Under the heat of summer, Hisui took off her shoes and dipped her feet in the pond—starting with her toes.

Relief from the cool water made Hisui realise just how long she had been walking. With nothing but the ripples from her feet, Hisui's mind was left to wander, growing ashamed as she reviewed her action before she arrived at the pond. Eventually even Hisui's surrounding followed the pond and soon, Hisui rubbed her arms while gazing at the unmoving waters. She found company.

Sparse in the beginning, enough for Hisui to question her own eyes. Speck by speck, green dots hung in the air, multiplying as time went on. Perhaps it would have frightened Hisui if she had no idea what the light sources were. Instead, the pond took a bit of the light and awe was the only thing Hisui felt.

"Found you," The voice sat by Hisui, breaking the lonely atmosphere the lights created. "you made the others worry you know?" It was a voice that Hisui was familiar with and enjoyed throughout her stay in Magnolia. Along with the pink hair and cheery face, completed one of Hiusi's most important friends.

"How did you find me?" Hisui answered Natsu's concern with a monotone voice.

"I sniffed you out."

"Natsu, what did I say about sniffing girls?"

"It was an emergency, I can't help it! In the first place, it was your fault for disappearing all of the sudden."

"Disappearing…I guess that's appropriate." Natsu frowned and stared into Hisui's dull eyes.

"What happened?"

"I don't want to tell you."

"I'll wait then." Hisui sloshed some water around to fill up the lack of sound—there's nothing she could have done about the grave atmosphere however.

"Natsu, what will you do if you have to leave Fairy Tail?" Hisui asked after coming to resent the silence.

"Why would I do that?"

"I said if."

"For a job?"

"No. Say...go on a long journey, and you don't know if you can come back."

"Then I'll come back, to Fairy Tail."

"What if something gets in your way?"

"Then I'll beat its ass. I won't be alone if that ever happens."

"What do you mean?"

"Say I left on a journey, Happy would follow me, that guy makes fun of me all the time but, he's still someone important to me. Also, gramps, Erza, even Gray won't forgive me for leaving all of the sudden, unless I return and explained what happened, they'll never forgive me.

"They may be a pain sometimes but, if I ever leave without doing things properly, they just drag me back, that's the kind of family we are. So if something gets in my way of returning home, they will help me."

"I'm envious of that, the bonds you all share."

"What are you talking about? Official or not, you're are a part of us, hanging out with us for so long and not admitting you're a part of us, no one will forgive you for that."

"Natsu, Thank You, I think I'm ready to talk to you."

"Should we go to the guild?"

"After this, I want you to listen to me first…I don't want to bother so many people."

"So you're bothering me." Natsu got up and walked to the bushes. "Wait right here, I'll be back."

"Where are you going?"

"Finding some sticks, you're cold right?"

"Be quick about it, my feet are wet." Hisui said with a small smile.

"You're the one that dipped it in water…whatever, I'll try."

Covered in the heat coming from a roaring fire, Hisui tucked her legs in, hands resting on the back of her thighs. Hisui took a long look at the creator of the fire, now having orange outlines tracing his body. Natsu sat crossed legged with a bundle of sticks next to him.

"So, what did you want me to listen to?"

"I won't try to mess around, I've done enough of that. Natsu, I'm leaving Magnolia."

"A meeting?"

"If only it was. Strange isn't it? I thought I hated meetings, now I want them. No Natsu, I won't be the mayor soon, I'll have to return to home."

"And you're fine with it?"

"what else can I do? Me coming here was father's way of testing my abilities, now that he's satisfied, I'm leaving."

"I'm not going to take this, what about the city? Fairy Tail!? Are you just going to leaving and pretend this never happened?"

"I don't even want to go, the pass months since I've been the mayor, was so much fun, I met people that cared about me, the kids in the slums and everyone at Fairy Tail. It was harsh at times, reading and researching so much, talking back and forth between different people, listening to the people's wishes. But Natsu, the smiles and happiness I felt from the citizens, was more than enough of a payment. Of course, the times when we had fun together was like a dream come true, we when fishing, celebrated a party where I could relax, everything is something I'll cherish.

"It's time to wake up, I can't stay here anymore. In the end, we're different people living in different worlds. Of course, we'll always be in touch, if I'm lucky, I'll come visit whenever I can."

"But if you stay, you don't have to do all that, you can continue to live like you've have been, ever since you came."

"It's my father's wish, I have to listen to them. But before we go to tell this to the others, I have one more thing to say, can you listen to it?" Hisui smiled, not the one Natsu was used to seeing, he'd never seen this smile before—to nobles, it was something they know too well—nor does he want to see it again.

"Su—sure."

"Thank You. When I came here, my father was hoping I could find myself here. You see, I had a talk with your Master when I came to your guild for the first time. He saw through my disguise, he could tell that I had hidden desires. And now, I have one more, it's ra—" Hisui showed Natsu a cryptic smile. "No, I guess that two more desires is accurate. My wishes were simple, in fact, coming here solved lots of them; having friends, entering a bath with them, relaxing by a lake, living in a dorm so many…

"Before I knew it, I did many things that I never thought I could ever do. And for that; Thank You and, goodbye, let's have fun again!"

"Why? Why do you sound so defeated? You haven't even tried and yet, you're giving up!?"

"It can't be helped, that's how it is."

"It can't be helped? That's how it is!? That's something only weaklings will say. You're not weak! You're an amazing mayor, a Princess that has the support of the entire kingdom. I may not understand what you were doing but, I saw it! You looked super cool doing that kind of stuff. If you're willing to go so far for us. Then do something for yourself!"

"Those words mean a lot to me, in the end, I have to go back home."

"This place is your home!"

"No it's not, Crocus is the ca—"

"Then make Magnolia the capital! I told you, Fairy Tail will always support me, the same thing with you. Fairy Tail is the top guild, that's more than enough reason to move the capital. If you try to leave with half-assed reasons like that, we'll drag you back here! You can do it, make Magnolia surpass Crocus, if it's you, I know you can do it!"

"What foolish things are you saying? I'm leaving soon, I can't do something like that, father won't listen to what I say."

"We'll do it, gramps, Lisanna, Levy all your friends, we'll convince that stubborn bastard for you!" Natsu's words hung in the air. For Hisui, it was repeating in her head over and over again, each time, hammering at a wall that she thought was impossible to break. All the while, Hisui was muttering something incoherent in a voice that brought a grin to Natsu's face.

"You say some unreasonable things Natsu." Hisui faced Natsu having expelled all the hesitation and passiveness, leaving behind determination—hope. "Let's do it, we'll convince father!"

"You hear that? Get your ass out here!" Natsu faced the bush behind Hisui.

"What are you talking about?" Following Natsu's eyesight, Hisui noticed a crown emerging from the bushes. After a short man stepped revealed himself, a tall man in armour tagged closely behind, and finally, a woman in a maid uniform stepped out. "Father and Arcadio!? Did Karie lead you here?"

"No, Natsu did. "Karie replied. "We found Natsu looking for firewood and followed him. Sadly, I forgot about his sense of smell."

"That doesn't explain why father is here."

"Hisui, you see," Toma started. "I came here to tell you that your test period has been extended. Until I join your mother, you'll be the mayor of Magnolia. After you left, I felt guilty, for taking away what you loved doing."

"I can stay here?"

"Of course, leave your other duties back at home to me."

"But, won't that be too hard on you?"

"If it's for my daughter's happiness, I'll gladly do it." Hisui ran out to hug her father. With two full moons, the heat provided by Natsu's fire, the bystanders happily watched the two express themselves without words.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! So, my school started, I won't be able to write as often so, after a few chapters, my uploads won't be as consistent.**

 **Besides that, I don't really have much to say, I do want your ideas on how cute chapters I can write, if you got any, give tell me.**

 **Until then, hope you enjoyed, have a nice day!**


	15. Chapter 15: Celebration

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Three months after Hisui's extended stay at Magnolia, she was currently making plans to improve the slum area. The multiple grand openings of schools were a good enough signal to Hisui to start making use of sudden increase in manpower. Looking to her left however, Karie just delivered papers that requires her attention. Sighing, Hisui pulled down the top piece of paper and glanced at it.

"Karie, this is the third copy delivered to me."

"I don't have time to look through all the documents delivered to us. Out of interest, what is that?"

"It's asking for a grant on research, for magic tools."

"That sounds like a good plan, why didn't you approve it?"

"Because the seal is fake." Hisui pointed to the imprint on the bottom of the paper. "Someone is pretending to be a part of the research group. Look, you can't feel any magic coming from the seal, the print is accurate however."

"That sounds like a pain."

"It doesn't begin to describe it, I was hoping that this person would stop, if this continues, I may just send a request to Fairy Tail to have this person tracked. This person is liable for punishment after all. If only everyone is honest, then I can do work when I'm sleepy."

"I say it's a good thing, anything that forces you to rest is good, whether the original intent is malicious or not."

"That is the silver lin—" An announcement cut Hisui off. "Gildarts Shift? I heard about it, I wonder what's it—" A magnitude shook the entire city, papers fell, and books plummeted. Karie instantly pulled Hisui away from her desk and watched her towers collapse.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, surely there's a better solution for when Gildarts-san returns?" Hisui said, looking out her window to see a man carry a bag twice as big as himself over his shoulders.

"How about we clean the room up first?" Even the worst of liars could claim that a storm blew over and everyone would believe it, the blue carpet was replaced with files, paper and books. A destroyed cup laid besides some snacks, staining documents with water and grease. Those were the ones that Hisui salvaged first after hearing Karie's suggestion.

"The ink is ruined…I have to write it again."

"A small price to pay to learn a lesson." Karie said, picking up the porcelain shards and cookie crumbles.

"Even so, it takes time." Hisui sighed and threw the unusable documents in the bin. "Let clean this up quickly, I need to get back to work."

"Not yet, we need to wait for the city to return to normal, no point in cleaning it up if it's going to happen again."

"Fairy Tail wizards are tricky to deal with…a lot of fun to be around but," Hisui looked at her surroundings, grimacing at the thought of cleaning and sorting out the mess. "I wish the side-effects aren't as severe."

Hisui and Karie was taking a break in a newly-tidied office, enjoying tea. The couch gave way without much resistance and Hisui sighed in bliss.

"Has it really been a year since I came here? I feel like everything went by so fast." Hisui set down her cup on a coffee table.

"To be honest, I find it hard to believe it as well."

"After this, shall we give Fairy Tail a visit?"

"W—well how about we look at the schools? I'm sure there's many people that wants to give their gratitude."

"I suppose, I am curious at the opening. It's decided, let's go visit the schools, how many students do you think are attending the school for wizards?"

"Don't you have data on that?"

"I don't have time to gloss over something like that when I'm working and looking into documents when I'm resting makes me feel like I'm not on a break."

"In that case, I guess that there will be more students compared to other magic schools, some role models live in this city."

"The fact that those destructive people are role models gives me nightmares at times."

"Even with Natsu's gift?"

"I'm joking, I haven't had a nightmare since it bloomed, not that I have many nightmares to begin with. I am surprised that the flower hasn't wilted yet." Hisui finished her cup of tea, telling Karie to the same. "Let's go."

"That's because you didn't have any nightmares," Karie opened the door for Hisui. "for each petal, it takes away one nightmare."

"What happens after all petals are gone then?"

"I can't say for certain, not many people are unfortunate enough to be haunted by so many nightmares. However, I hear it bears fruit if it completely wilts."

"That's a troublesome way of reproducing."

* * *

It was like a festival, only more concentrated as school were celebrating their grand opening. Walking near one of those schools, Hisui saw pillars of balloons proudly presenting the new building, similar to the ones she visited beforehand. She noted that each school had their own style of celebrating, some added streamers for appealing to children, a few rolled out a red carpet leading to a magnificent school building. Nearing the gate, a wall of people stood behind a long strip of red ribbon, with one person holding a huge scissors. Making her way through the crowd of people, Hisui was listening to the speech when the man holding the scissors noticed her.

"Of course, this school wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Hisui-sama. Though many of you may not know, she worked a great deal into organising this. Just as an example, along with two experienced teachers, Hisui interviewed every single teacher to make sure they were qualified for the position. And on this joyous day, I can't believe that Hisui-sama is standing here. Would it be possible for you to come up and allow us to show our gratitude?" Hisui handed the gifts she received from her previous visits to Karie and walked up with a brilliant smile. Applauses rang down the streets, dying down once Hisui arrived the top of the steps.

"It's enough for me to know you'll be in charge of guiding the future generation, I didn't do anything worth thanking."

"Then can you cut the ribbon?"

"That wouldn't be fair to the other schools I visited."

"I expected as much." The man presented a paper bag to Hisui. "Please at least take this."

"Thank You." Walking back down, Hisui was given another round of applause. Meeting the smiling faces of parents with a small wave. "Karie, I believe that's the last one?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go to Fairy Tail."

"We need to put these gifts back home first."

"I suppose, let's open them while we're at it." Hisui started to walk back to Fairy Hills, missing the relieved look from Karie, along with her line of sight pointing the tip of the Fairy Tail building.

"The food we can share with the others," Hisui sorted her gifts into two piles, splitting her bed. "however, the pens, cups and these other things, I can't use them all."

"It's the thought that matters."

"While that may be true, I feel bad if I don't end up using them." Hisui commented, picking up four bookmarks and examining them.

"How about we use them a decoration? After all, your room could use some work. I can't believe that my room is more luxurious than yours, it should be the other way around." Karie gestured to the barren room that hasn't seen change since Hisui moved in. The only thing that has changed was the Moondew was moved to a bigger pot but still sitting on the window sill. "At least purchase a wardrobe, putting your clothes into a briefcase isn't terribly efficient."

"But I quite like it here, its spacious, and it make cleaning much easier. Besides, I do have a wardrobe." Hisui pointed to her night stand.

"Hisui, I can only put underwear and casual clothing in there. I can't put the dresses in due to lack of space."

"I'll get one later then, let's have some fun with Lisanna and the others!"

"We can't, we're almost out of ingredient to cook with."

"No it isn't, I just checked it when you was using the washroom."

"That shouldn't be…"

"It's not like you to forget things like that. Also, you've been leading me away from Fairy Tail for a while now. When I was done with one school, you suggested that I visit all of them for the sake of being fair." Hisui stood up from her bed and walked close to her retreating maid. "What are you hiding?"

"Y—you're thinking too much."

"You know I don't like liars, I can still forgive you if you tell me right now."

"Do I really have to?"

"Yes." Facing Hisui's stern face, Karie sighed in surrender.

"I guess it's best to show you, come on, hopefully I did a good enough job."

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll see when see when we get there."

The quiet path to Fairy Tail proved to be a nuisance for Karie, with little wind and a full white blanket covering the sun lend itself for relaxing walk—if Hisui wasn't trying to probe Karie for information. Direct at the start.

"Why were you hiding things from me? It isn't anything serious is it?"

"Of course not."

Seeing that those questions were doing anything, Hisui changed to a subtle approach.

"Do you think I can eat some of Mira's treats again?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"You're being stubborn, just tell me already."

"I told you to wait, we're almost there." Karie pointed to the guild mark that was enlarging as they got close.

"We would've been there by now if you weren't walking so slowly."

"I thought that the time in the palace taught you patience, why are you being so restless?" Karie stopped at the guild door.

"You would be too if someone close to you is playing dumb and keeps you in the dark."

"Are you going to open the door or shall I do it?" Abandoning her next question, Hisui pushed the door open briskly. Her green eyes said nothing but shock seeing the colourful streamers and balloons decorating the guild hall. Guild members sporting happy faces pulled party poppers the instant Hisui opened the door, showering her with confetti and paper strips, one distinct bang came from behind Hisui. Even Hisui's nose wasn't spared, the food on the tables combined to an amalgamation of colour that teased her stomach. Perhaps most impacting and confusing of all was 'Happy Anniversary' that everyone shouted.

"What's…this?" Hisui leaked out. She then felt two hands push her to the group of people.

"They're celebrating your one year in being a mayor." Karie provided, smiling proudly. "It was hard to keep this under wraps you know."

"Exactly!" Lisanna pulled Hisui's wrist. "We had to ask Karie to stall for time."

"Why are you doing all this for me? It's not really worth celebrating."

"Don't go saying something so harsh." Natsu barged his way to the front. "We're celebrating a year of our friendship, don't take it so lightly." He finished by showing his smile that Hisui has come to enjoy seeing—the positivity and innocence that it always warms her heart.

"Sorry…"

"Why are you being so stiff? It's a party for you, you know? Have fun, the others already started." Hisui looked around the hall, the rowdiness of the guild appeared to have doubled with mug smashing against each other like deer in a fight, tables subjected to slamming. Slowly, the large piles of food were shrinking.

"Natsu's right, you need to enjoy yourself! Lisanna pulled Hisui to the food table. "The meatballs are made by me, have a try!" She said, handing Hisui a plate and a fork. Hisui did as told and put a speared meatball into her mouth.

"This is good!"

"Right? I'm really proud of it!"

"Lisanna! Don't hog Hisui to yourself!" Levy ran over and pulled on Lisanna's sleeve, minor annoyance shown on her face.

"Sorry! I was too excited."

"Hisui, follow me for a sec." Levy made a beckoning motion before diving into the mass of people.

"What is it?" Hisui manoeuvred through groups of people to find a stack of presents. "This is?"

"Presents from us! We're grateful for what you've done for the city and, it's to celebrate your year stay, originally you weren't meant to stay that long right?"

"Yes."

"Then think of this like a good-luck charm for you to stay as long as you want!"

"Thank You…I really don't know what to say."

"Open them first."

"Levy, there's too many!"

"By the way, the blue one with yellow stars is mine."

"Listen!"

* * *

Before Hisui knew it, night called the crickets and owls; most people were sleeping in awkward positions thanks to alcohol. Karie was cleaning up the stains with Erza, Mirajane and Elfman tried telling members to return home. Hisui sitting outside, looking at the moon—escaping from the smell of alcohol.

"So that's where you were." Natsu sat next to Hisui.

"Don't act surprised, you can tell where I am with your nose."

"Not with the guild smelling like booze."

"I'll keep that in mind then."

"Did you have fun?" Hisui smiled at Natsu's question.

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Good."

"Whose idea was it? To hold a party like that?"

"Mine. I was planning to do it after you were allowed to stay but, I overheard Lucy saying that it's almost a year since you've came, so I waited."

"I didn't expect you could use that brain of yours to plan something."

"Hey!"

"Thank You, it means a lot to me."

"Oh yeah, I haven't given you a present." Natsu dug in his pockets.

"It's fine, your wishes are enough for me."

"Here you go." Natsu held out a barrette. A three medal leaves with gold as the stalk. The leaves were made of a green gemstone—much darker than Hisui's hair—but still manages to make use of the moonlight, creating a shimmer that danced as it rolled in Natsu's hand. He leaned forward, close enough for Hisui to feel Natsu's unnatural body heat projecting her with comfort.

Hisui's heart beat became hammering and she found it harder to breathe. She felt her hair loosening by as Natsu reaches behind Hisui's ear, skimming it as his thumb went pass. Another hand lightly held the green locks hair in place, pulling Natsu's face forward, giving Hisui a look at the slight bruises on his face despite the poor lighting conditions. Hisui hesitantly tapped a bruise with her finger, causing a flinch from the man.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to."

"It's fine, I guess Erza hit me harder than I thought." Hisui felt her hair tightening as Natsu clipped the accessory in place. "There! It really fits you."

"How much did that cost you? It seemed well-made."

"It was pretty expensive; the bastard was charging me five million and then some."

"I can't accept something like that!? Isn't that a lot of money for guild members?"

"That's nothing compared to what you get from nobles right?"

"That's not the point! Wait a minute, did you say 'was'?"

"Yeah, after I saved his shop from a monster attack, he offered it for half the price."

"At least I feel a little bit better. But still, I can't accept this!" Hisui reached behind her head but was stopped by Natsu's hands.

"I already paid for the money, don't sweat it. Besides it looks great on you. If you do give it back to me, I'll melt it."

"That's unreason—"

"In exchange, wear it as often as you can." Natsu gave no room for argument by giving Hisui another grin of his, this one showed no regret but happiness and relief. Under that expression, Hisui could only return a smile of her own.

"I promise."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope I didn't jump too far ahead but hey, I haven't written one of these scenes in a long time so I did it.**

 **Still, I didn't expect school to take this much time from me, I haven't been able to write as much as I wanted, as it's going now, you guys got one or two more chapters before things start to slow down, I say two because chapter seventeen isn't finished yet.**

 **Still hoping for fun chapter ideas, I did get one where Hisui should go out in the fields but, I need to find a excuse for that before I can start writing on that.**

 **My personal inept aside, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, have a great day!**


	16. Chapter 16: Promise

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

"You're going on a job so soon?" Hisui brushed away her loose strands of hair created by the winds. "But you just got back, are you sure you're getting enough rest Natsu?" The two was sitting in the outdoor café of Fairy Tail, with Hisui experiencing her day-off by drinking a chilled cup of juice and talking to her pink-haired friend.

"I did spend a bunch of money lately. I need to earn back the money."

"That's why I didn't want to accept this!" Hisui turned her head around, showing the accessory keeping her hair together.

"it's not too bad, I get to go on adventures."

"If you say so." Hisui took a small sip, sighing contently at the freshness of orange rolling down her throat. "I envy you sometimes, it sounds like you have fun on your jobs. Sitting in my office all day can be tedious at times."

"Then when I come back, I'll tell you about what happened."

"How's that going to help?"

"You always like my stories, right?"

"I do, mainly because you're always so silly."

"Do you want me to tell you or not?" Hisui giggled at Natsu's annoyance."

"Please do." Hisui stifled her last bits of laughter.

"Then it's a promise."

"When are you leaving? What's the job by the way?"

"Saving someone in some cave. I'm leaving tomorrow, I should be back in two days."

"Two days huh? I can wait." Hisui drank more of her juice.

"By the way, what have you been up to? You said you're bored and all but, what have you been doing?"

"For now, it's checking the progress of the train station, the expansion is going smoothly, then I have to sign a few things, talk to people about my ideas about improving the slums. After that, I'm wondering whether I should level parts of the forest."

"Sound's boring."

"Some parts are, I wish that I could be working now but, since everyone else is having a day-off, if I work, it would make my team feel uncomfortable."

"Why?"

"This may not be the best way to put it, I think it still helps explain my reasons. How would you feel if Erza does all the work on a job?"

"I'd get mad, she's taking all the good parts!"

"Never mind…I forget that you exceed the norm. Fine, how do you think that Lucy would feel? It might not be fully accurate, but, I wager that she would feel useless, like she's not doing enough. In my case, me working overtime might make the others feel bad that they're resting. Well, it's most likely paranoia, I might as well take this time to rest as well."

"I don't really understand the complicated stuff…if you say so."

"What am I going to do in these two days? I'm going to be bored to death." Hisui said in an exaggerated way, sprawling on the table, peeking at Natsu's face

"How did you normally deal with it then? You're always spending so much time in your office."

"Well that's…umm I don't know. When I concentrate, Karie says I'm hard to approach. I guess that I don't feel bored if I'm not thinking of it."

"Yeah that happens to me too."

"In any case, I'll be waiting for you to come back, don't you dare try to come late, I hate when scheduling goes wrong."

"I promise." Hisui finished her juice and wore a mischievous smile.

"What happens if you break that promise?"

"I won't."

"I need some insurance if you do, you know, to make sure that you don't come late."

"Fine," Natsu groaned. "I'll...do one thing you say."

"Perfect."

* * *

The following day, the sky was a serene blue, little to no clouds blocked the soft sunlight drizzling down to the ground. Once again, Hisui won the race against her alarm, stretching as she climbed out of bed, smiling upon lifting back the curtains to see the calm morning that appealed to everyone. One thing that Hisui wasn't used to in a day like this was the additional wardrobe in the corner of her room. The imposing size of it and the complex carvings of trees made it that much more jarring. Nevertheless, it helped Hisui greatly when she was picking out clothes to wear after her shower.

The cool water as it followed Hisui's bristles to her lower back, refreshing her mind and washing the minuscule amount of weariness from her head—humming as she lathered shampoo to her hair. Stepping out of the shower, Hisui quickly dressed into one of the many dresses occupying her wardrobe fixing her hair shortly after. A simple breakfast with Karie later, Hisui was on her way to her office, feet feeling light and having a faint smile on her face.

Hisui was sorting out her files faster than she normally would, humming as she slotted a folder in the proper spot. The people that she talked to left the discussion with a positive impression. When she completed her work for the day, only an hour had passed since she finished her lunch.

"What happened? You're in an awfully good mood, even this morning, you were livelier than normal." Karie asked, storing away a reference book.

"Nothing much, I made some plans two days from now and I can't wait."

"What is it? To have you so fired up."

"I'm just going to listen to Natsu's stories."

"That really doesn't sound like much, it shouldn't really get you this excited…well, I suppose if it makes you happy, I'm fine with not knowing the exact details, I do have a question however."

"And that is?"

"Out of all the people you spend time with, Natsu appears to be among the more predominate ones, I don't think you've ever spent more time with a guy other than Natsu, is that a coincidence?" Karie asked a question that Hisui herself didn't realise, much less know the answer to. A blank canvas waiting to be painted, Hisui's brush didn't move, her paint was confusion, slowly turning to frustration. Drawing upon nothing useful, Hisui opened her mouth, speaking out her confusion.

"I honestly don't know…if I have to say, he's easy to be around. For someone so frank, he has a mysterious power. Maybe I'm drawn to it, I want to know what it is. Or he's just a fun person to be around. There's even a chance I'm envious of his simple way of thinking, I just can't say for certain. One thing's for sure; I don't hate it."

"Then that's fine isn't it? You followed your heart instead of your brain for once, I don't think that you made the wrong decision."

"Thank You."

* * *

It was even more serious the next day, Hisui made the choice in finishing tomorrow's work in one day, hoping that she made enough time for her talk with Natsu. For an outsider, it would seem that the office is in a state of disfunction, columns of documents piled up faster than rain in a storm. However, everything was sorted out neatly for an experienced eye. Using coffee and tea snacks as lunch, Hisui left her office before evening.

"I think that you went overboard today, you barely had any time to rest." Karie chided, throwing some chopped vegetables in pot.

"I want to make sure that I have enough time tomorrow, I can't help it." Hisui handed Karie a bowl of minced meat.

"I don't think that Natsu will have that much time for you, he's quite busy recently." Karie eyed the ornament on Hisui's hair, shaping the meat into a disc shape.

"Didn't he say before? He always has time for friends, even if he doesn't have that many things to say, I can take my time in thinking of my next move. Also, I may have finished the work tomorrow, I'm certain that there will be more delivered when I sit behind my desk."

"I see." Karie slid the meat patties she made into a pan, enjoying the sizzling of its cooking. Karie took out a bag of flour and got to work. Hisui grabbed several eggs, whisked them before finally pouring the eggs into her pan.

"Did we cook too much?"

"Not really, it's around the same amount."

"It looks like a lot."

"That's because you're used to seeing the food split into portions, if you helped with the cooking more often, you would know."

"I can't help it, I'm usually reading something." Hisui flipped her egg around, frowning at the slight burn on her otherwise golden-brown creation. "I won't be able to return Levy's books if I don't."

"Then you shouldn't have borrowed that many." Karie flipped the patties, smirking at Hisui.

"I can't stop Levy when she starts recommending books."

"In any case, your cooking would improve if you helped out more."

"I don't you to tell me."

"I guess that will have to wait." Karie scooped bits of her soup into two small dishes and handed one of them to Hisui. "What do you think?"

"Why do you even bother asking?"

"Well?"

"It's good of course." Hisui smiled, putting more effort in her eggs. When she placed them on a dish, her lips tugged even tighter having seen the results that she wanted.

* * *

On the promised day, Hisui took her work to the guild, bringing the recently added workload and a pen with her. She found an empty seat to lay her papers on and got to work, with Karie occasionally bringing refreshments the moment Hisui needs them. Once she was done with one document, Hisui glanced at the door, inspecting the guild for anything pink; her ears were on high alert for sounds that belonged to Natsu; nose tried to detect the faint smell of burning clothes or wood.

As people arrived at the guild, Hisui's pile of work decreased while her nervousness expanded. Each page that she added to the pile of completed work, Hisui's patience was chipped away. Reducing to ashes once the sun started setting. Hisui's friends around her held a worried expression.

"I'm going out for a while." Hisui announced.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, we're your friends, we can help you with your problems." Levy immediately answered.

"Sorry, I need to do something really quick, I'll be back soon." Hisui broke into a run, pushing pass guildmembers and doing the same with the door. The wind didn't help at all with Hisu's anger, rather, they fanned the flames. Hisui's looked around, but quickly went back inside. A sense of guilt rose at the same time, Hisui felt ashamed for losing herself to emotions, going as far as to push others aside without putting much thought into it.

In the silent night, Hisui lay on her bed. She changed positions ten times already, still can't expel the discomfort. Hisui first ran in her mind at what order will she give Natsu, giggling at a few of them. The happiness was swallowed under the truth.

"Liar…" HIsui turned to her side and laid like that until she fell asleep. Once Hisui was asleep, the flower sitting on the window sill lost a petal, the soft glow dimmed to nothing, turning limp before falling to the ground, touching the cold, lonely floor.

The employees working at Hisui's office felt nothing but awe for the past two days. Today, fear grew in their minds. Hisui's pen scratched blank papers loudly—only to be discarded if she ripped a hole through the medium. Stamping created slight tremors on her desk.

"Hisui, you're scaring the others." Hisui's pen stopped at Karie's word. The maid picked up another ruined piece of paper from the ground. "Don't take it out on others, they've done nothing wrong."

"You can't blame me…well, maybe you can…the point is, I feel like a fool, for getting so excited and not expecting the worst."

"Then that's another lesson you have to learn."

"It's not that easy…" Hisui sighed. "I feel…"

"Betrayed?"

"Nothing that extreme…disappointed I would say. Not at Natsu but, at myself."

"I'm sure he'll be back soon, there really isn't many things that can keep him down."

"I hope you're right about that."

"Although, I will say that you're overreacting, Natsu is only a day last and you're acting like someone was killed in cold blood."

"I think I have the right to be anger at someone that lied to me." Hisui huffed. "I will admit that I didn't control my temper too well."

"You didn't control it at all!" Karie teased. "Everyone asked me to relay messages to you because they were so scared."

"Did I really look that scary?"

"If you compare it to your gentle face that people see all the time, then yes, you looked intimidating. Thankfully, they don't have to see you when you really are angry, your reputation as the kind, caring Princess will disappear in a flash."

"They'll have to accept that I can't stay forgiving all the time. Some people, you need to be rougher with them before they fall in line."

"Then why don't you do the same with Natsu? He does own you a favour now." Hisui contorted into a playful smile.

"Would you like to hear it?"

Three days later, Natsu still hasn't returned. Every day, Hisui came to the guild to check for his arrival, her heart sank each time. For once, Hisui was lagging behind in work, spending most of her time worrying for the dragon slayer. To make up for it, Hisui shot out of bed and grabbed the closet set of clothes she could get and rushed into the showers. Just before she opened the door, Hisui spotted something pink stuck to her window—hope crawled back. Surprising her wishes, she turned around. Two faces that was gone for five days smiled outside her window. Hisui threw open the window at once.

"Where were you two!? Do you have any idea how worried I was? Even though the guild told me you were most likely fine, I still couldn't shake to feeling that something bad happened to you two!"

"See Natsu," Happy snickered. "I told you you're in trouble."

"I know that, I didn't think that it'll be this bad. Sorry Hisui, it took longer than I thought."

"Natsu was flirting with this girl." Happy provided. Hisui froze. She didn't know what to say, her brain was failing at formulating an appropriate response. It was falling back to something much more primal. Seeing Hisui's cold expression, Natsu took a step back while Happy watched with glee.

"Happy! Why did you say that? Now she's going to—"

"Is that so? While I was worried sick…you…you were fooling around with some girl you just met!?"

"Happy was messing with you!"

"Then why don't you tell me what happened? Natsu Dragneel, if nothing happened, you should be able to tell me without any problems, right?"

"Sc—scary!"

"Hurry up, I don't have much time."

"I can't explain in such a—"

"Three…two…"

"I got it! When I found the person in the cave, it was this girl that says she's a fan of me. Then she said she twisted her foot, so I carried her out of the cave. Now that I think about it, it was her that made me late. She kept telling me that she had something to do in a forest, so she asked us to help her. After we were done with one favour, she asked for another."

"Why didn't you refuse her? Your job was done, you had no obligation to carry out her requests."

"Now that you said it…"

"That's why I said Natsu was flirting. When he was carrying Sarah, Natsu touched her butt."

"An accident!"

"What about when you walked in when she was bathing?"

"You set me up!"

"All I said was that I want fish for dinner! No one told you to go to that lake to get fish!"

"That was the closest one!"

"Are you done?" Hisui's cold voice broke Natsu's composure. "I was planning to let you have it easy with my order. But now, I don't see why I should hold back."

"Hi—Hisui-sama, please have mercy!"

"I'll have you, dress up as a girl for three days."

"That's so long!"

"I think that's fair, you were four days late, be grateful that I didn't match it."

"Can I do something else?"

"You're backing out on your promise?"

"I didn't think that I would be late so…"

"Fine, I'll change it."

"Really!?"

"Yes," A venomous smile stuck Natsu. "you'll have to be Gray-san's servant for three days."

"That's even worse!"

"You're still squirming? Then, I'll let you off for now, just remember I still have an order to give you."

"You're the best! Come on Happy, we need to tell the others!"

"Aye sir!"

"Oh and Natsu," Natsu turned back, shocked at seeing Hisui's warm expression. Her jewel-like eyes held only relief; her perfect smile made Natsu speechless. The dull background of Hisui's room made her standout even more, a rainbow in a mundane world. "welcome back."

"Yeah, I won't do that again."

"Passable."

"Huh?"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! God this must be the worst chapter I put out to date, this was written during my slump so forgive me. I wanted to experiment with Hisui's actions as the days goes on, the result...well you can see for yourself.**

 **I've been so busy lately, I haven't much time to write, but I will get back on the saddle soon(hopefully). I've been thinking about something that I had for the story. At the same time, it's a confession. I don't re-write the chapters until I get the best result—terrible practise I know. So I've been thinking that I can take more time with each chapter and up the quality and get rid of the parts of chapters I'm not too happy with. That does mean I won't update as often but, I think that most people wouldn't mind.**

 **Until then, I hope you enjoyed, have a good day!**


	17. Chapter 17: Preparation

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

"What's the reason for wanting more time this Harvest Festival?" Hisui asked Makarov, writing down his request on a notepad. They were sitting in Makarov's office. Though it has been several months since Hisui has sat inside, not much has changed, the books were still dusty and plentiful, his desk was messy as opposed to Hiusi's desk, and the smell of booze hung in the air. The guild master shuffled in his seat while looking at Hisui with a pained expression.

"Well, you see, we received more members than we expected compared to last year so, the parade has to be longer than before if I were to give them all a chance to shine."

"I understand but, you need to keep in mind that I need to plan the schedule for everyone, putting too much time for Fairy Tail wouldn't be fair, even if you attract the most people to the festival." Hisui handed a piece of paper to the trouble man. "That's the current schedule planned, as you can see, I don't have much leeway."

"Perhaps we can extend to festival by another two hours or so."

"The festival already ends at midnight, factoring in that people will stick around for at least another hour, cleaning the streets once people disperse, I'm afraid that I can't do it."

"Then how about we start earlier?"

"That is possible…then I have to talk with the performers, merchants…" Hisui sighed. "it's good thing we didn't sign any contracts yet."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine, to make sure that everyone has a good time at the festival, that's my job after all. Do you have anything else to ask?"

"This is something that my children have been asking me, I refused them many times but, since they were so insistent…" Makarov grumbled and shifted in his seat.

"What is it? If it's anything I can help with, I'll be glad to listen to it."

"The thing is, this concerns you."

"That's not much of a surprise, I'm mostly in-charge with organising the festival, hurry up and tell me, I won't mind."

"The brats ask if you would join in the 'Miss Fairy Tail' contest, they wanted me to convince you."

"Oh that, I already refused it."

"Then why did they ask me to!?"

"I'm not sure, but I told them that I don't have time for it. Besides, my body is nothing that glamorous. In the first place, I'm not a part of your guild, as much as I don't want to admit it."

"On papers you're not. In reality, we all think that you're a part of Fairy Tail." Hisui smiled warmly at the Makarov's claims and took a few more notes.

"I'll see what I can do for the parade, is there anything else?"

"No, thank you for going along with my selfish actions."

"Don't worry about it, it's only natural to want your guild member to succeed. Again, it's my job to make sure that everyone enjoys themselves." Hisui walked out the office with light steps, closing the door behind without leaving a sound.

Hisui noticed the guild was tamer compared to her previous visits, nothing was broken, and the cheers was loud enough for Hisui to know that she didn't enter the wrong place. Looking carefully, she spotted her friend looking at her with a cheery face.

"Hisui! Want to grab lunch with us?" Natsu waved his hand. He was sitting with his team that was smiling invitingly to Hisui.

"Yeah, join us." Lucy added. "It'll be fun." Hisui responded with an apologetic look.

"Sorry, I did to plan for the Harvest Festival."

"But that's more than a month away!" Natsu said. "Having one day of fun won't hurt."

"Natsu, you have no idea how much planning goes into these."

"Aww come on, it can be that ba—" Natus bit his tongue from a punch to his head. "What was that for!" Natsu glared at Erza with an annoyed look that quickly withered into a pale face seeing her glinting gauntlet and fiery gaze.

"She already said that she's busy, don't bother her more than you already have!"

"Fine," Natsu sulked. "…so when are you free?"

"I don't know, Karie knows more about my schedule, lately there's been so many things I lost track of them all."

"Well," The man recovered his energetic self. "don't overdo it!"

"I won't, thanks for your concern. Karie, we're leaving." Hisui called out to her friend that was standing behind a bar, serving drinks to guild members. Seeing Karie move away from the counter, Hisui opened the door and smiled at the gentle breeze.

* * *

Hisui was back in her office shuffling a pile of forms. Facing her was a well-fed man, sweating slightly in his black suit, clutching his fists to a ball to the point where it seems that his thighs are shaking. He fixed his nutty hair and wiped the sweat from his broad forehead.

"Mr. Jackson, you are applying for a sales permit for the festival correct?" Hisui pulled out a form from the pile and studied it intently.

"Yes…is there something wrong?"

"You didn't list what kind of wares are you going to sell."

"My mistake…I was in a hurry."

"No matter, just tell me what you are selling for the festival." Hisui's hands hovered over several pens waving from her container, ultimately picking one already lying on her desk.

"It's food."

"Then you'll have to pass the food regulations before I can do anything."

"M—my bad, it's magic tools." Hisui looked up from her note taking and into Jackson's dark brown eyes. "They're toys designed for children to practise their magic powers."

"I see…do you need a bigger stall?"

"No, the tools are around the size of a fist."

"Thank you, that's all I need, I'll send someone to examine your goods, after that, you just need to pay the fee."

"Of course." Jackson rose from his seat and made his way out.

"Goodbye."

"G—goodbye." Following the man's exit, Karie entered with a serious look that made Hisui focus more on Karie's words than the words she's writing.

"We found something wrong with Roland's food, they said that there's a hint of a strange drug."

"Drug?" Hisui frowned and stopped her writing. A chill ran down her back, yet lighting her imagination a blaze, Hisui ran through different reasons and outcomes—each presenting no clear answer, save that someone was aiming to ruin the festival. Collecting herself, Hisui faced her servant with no compassion in her vacant green eyes. "Can you summon him here right now?"

"I was waiting for you permission."

"Then he's already here?"

"Just out the door."

"Bring him in." Two men entered the room after Karie received Hisui's permission; a man wearing an officer's uniform was staring at the other with cautious eyes, with a firm grip on the shoulders; the other was took interest to the floor, each step shaky and contrary to his clean suit that looked new, his hair was sticking to his forehead and showed signs of scratching. The nervous man looked at Hisui that appeared to be his trigger. The man lost his docile nature, escaping from the officer's grip and prostrated to the floor, further destroying his image.

"P—Princess! I didn't do it! I had no idea that my food was drugged, please believe—" The officer got hold of the man again, this time, eliminating all chances of escape.

"First off, how about we release him? I don't think he can give me the answers I need when he's this…excited."

"Are you sure?" The officer loosened his hold slightly. "What if he attacks you?"

"Then Karie will take care of it, I doubt that he can do much," Hisui eyed the tearing eyes and moist nose of the restrained man. "so please let him go." The merchant massaged his arm that was twisted while muttering his gratitude over and over. "I can't trust your claims of being innocent however, I do need some answers, you can choose to answer my questions or not, just know that your livelihood is on the line."

"I…understand, please go ahead."

"You said that you didn't drug the food, then that means you didn't check the ingredients beforehand?"

"We—well, the ingredients I got before I applied were all clean before, so I didn't bother to check this time."

"Quite a huge mistake to make, who is your supplier then?"

"It's a local business around my area, I get all my ingredients there, with the exception of the seasonings."

"What's the name of your supplier?"

"C—Carl and Jones Produce." Hisui motioned Karie to take notes.

"And I suppose that they are a reputable source?"

"In the years we worked together, yes."

"Karie, what kind of drug was it?"

"A team of people is analysing it right now, so I can't say."

"I see…well, until I get more information about the matter, I'm afraid that you'll be on watch and the ingredients will be taken. Even if you find a different partner, until the situation is made clear, I can't approve of anything."

"I understand."

"We'll also have you goes through your possessions, with your permission of course."

"Of course I'll allow it! Anything to clear my name." Hisui turned to the officer.

"Can I leave that to you Daniel?"

"You can count on me."

"Have him go with you, in case you need to ask him something, take anything that seems suspicious."

"Roger!" Daniel grabbed the merchant's shoulders and pushed him out the room, leaving it quiet for Hisui's mind to consider her options. Karie stood and watched her friend in deep thought with furrowed brows and darting eyes that left their focus in seconds.

"Shall I investigate the supplier?" Met with nothing, Karie measured some tea leaves and turned on a water cooker.

"Who else do you think is involved with this?" Hisui spoke at last, just after the kettle sang.

"It's hard to say," Karie poured the water in a pot and covered it with a cloth. "I can list a couple of political enemies, some can easily be swayed so, around three people I can think of that will do this."

"Most likely there wouldn't be any traces even if I sent someone to investigate…whatever the case, I can't let this stop me from planning the festival."

"I think it's wise to prepare some means to prevent sabotage."

"So you want me to think of how would I mess up a festival?"

"And then prevent it."

"Easier said than done, people can be crafty, for now, tell quality assurance to be more strict. That being said, I don't think we'll get anything useful, if they are trying to sell faulty goods they'll use legitimate ones for the test and swap it for something malicious on the day of the festival, we were lucky that we even managed to find anything in the way that we did."

"Maybe you can use the dragon slayers? I'm sure they can smell out any narcotics on that day."

"And interfere with them enjoying the festival? I told you, it's my job to ensure that everyone can have fun, dragging Natsu and the others in this would beat the point. I must solve this without them."

"I believe that you should depend on others when you need to."

"If there isn't any other way, I'll ask them for help, in the meantime, have all applicants goes through an interview by me."

"That's too many!"

"You'll have to help me, there isn't any other way, I'm not confident about the other's ability to see through lies."

"If that's the case, let's include Master Makarov, it's before the festival so he can still enjoy it on the day, and I don't need to mention his judging capability."

"Isn't he busy?"

"If he is, he wouldn't be spending most of his time drinking at the guild." Karie said with a wry smile, delivering a cup of tea to Hisui's desk

"I suppose," Hisui mused, mixing in some milk. "he does owe me favour for re-arranging the schedule."

"I'll ask him tomorrow."

"Please do." Hisui went back to her papers and the sound of pen guiding ruled, the only difference was that the slightly annoyed look on Hisui's face as she read and signed documents, handing them to Karie once she was done with them. Hisui reached for her tea, sighing once the warm drink ran down her throat; the letters didn't swim around the pages anymore, and her headache cleared to the point where Hisui stopped her pen and went into another train of thought, Hisui's brows furrowed further. Her hand moved to a blank piece of paper and scribbled incoherent sentences, throwing ideas and theories together and hoping for a solution.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I finally posted something! God this past week has been a nightmare for writing, hopefully it'll get better.**

 **Here we are, a new 'arc' I think it'll take like three chapters for me to knock this down, do let me know of some ideas I can use for this, because the ones in my head right now, aren't so great.**

 **Regardless, I took so long was due to school starting and everything is a pain now and it's messing with my drive to write—and playing Breath of The Wild isn't helping.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, have a nice day!**


	18. Chapter 18: Wish Defied

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

Evening is a time that Hisui looks forward to everyday, discarding her duties for the day to recover from her fatigue, enjoying a meal with her friends, laughing over jokes and gossips while sitting around an oval table. Following that is when they enter the bath, the white tiles and Fairy Tail fountain were covered by a comforting hazy veil. Watching the inviting water slosh about made Hisui clean herself faster than she would. She sunk in the water without testing the temperature, a blissful sigh escaped Hisui's mouth.

"Sounds like today was rough." A petite girl with blue hair sat next to Hisui, closing her eyes in content. "What happened?"

"It really was exhausting Levy, I never would have thought that interviewing people all day could be so draining, it's just sitting in a room and asking questions, so I thought, and this is the result." Hisui stretched with a forced smile. "Battered and exhausted. I think that I'll get used to it by tomorrow."

"That's not something you should be getting used to! You need to take it easy, or at the very least, have more people to help you."

"I don't trust anyone else to do this job well."

"We're not good enough?"

"Just listen and you'll understand why." Hisui looked behind her to see that the rest of her friends were stilling washing their bodies. "Don't tell this to anyone." Receiving a nod from Levy, Hisui leaned into to her friend's ear. "You see, when we were doing quality assurance, a team found a strange drug in some food."

"That terrible!" Levy exclaimed in a hushed tone.

"To make sure that we keep the trouble to a minimum, we're interviewing every person that wants to sell goods during the festival."

"I still don't get it, we should be able to help you just fine."

"If this was a normal situation then yes, but since most likely that there's a mastermind behind it, I need people that can spot lies well, simply put, you can't trust anyone you meet and read into every single detail, even the choice of words can be a huge hint. If you're not used to dealing with these kinds of people, you'll get tricked.

"Fortunately, Magnolia doesn't have people like that, at the same time, that means you're not well-equipped to do a good job. I'm sorry but, please understand, I want more help, if it increases the risk, then I rather work harder."

"Sorry, I didn't think that it'll be this tough for you…"

"It's fine, as long as you understand."

"But…"

"That's enough of this topic," Hisui gave Levy a playful smile, splashing some water to Levy's crestfallen face. "I came in to loosen-up, talking about this subject would just make it worse."

"I got it." Levy smiled. "If there's anything we can help with, just ask us okay?"

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Help with what?" A concerned voice interjected. The two turned around and a ribbon of crimson along with an imposing figure towered over them. "I can help if you need it."

"Erza! How much did you hear?"

"Not much, only that Levy reminded you we'll always help a friend."

"I see…" Erza sung down in the water while massaging her shoulders. "It's tough for you as well huh?"

"The previous job was annoying to deal with."

"Natsu?"

"And Gray, they destroyed the village elder's house when they were fighting."

"That does sound annoying…how much of the reward turned to compensation?"

"A quarter of it."

"That doesn't sound bad, usually, you lose more money when you go out for jobs."

"That's why my shoulders feel stiff, those two are getting stronger."

"Everyone is having their own problems isn't it?"

"It's not bad, if they get stronger, it'll push me to work harder to get them under control."

"But still, there are times I wish I didn't have as much things to do, I suppose with the festival getting closer, I can't really do anything about it."

"All you need to do is tell us how can we help, you need to stop being stubborn."

"After this, I swear," Hisui's voice turned serious. "this isn't something you guys can handle, it's my battlefield."

* * *

Hisui was wrapping up her fifth interview of the day, eyes looking intently at a middle-aged woman whose honey hair was bundled up to a bun behind her head. Hisui scrutinised the woman's dark blue eyes, using all her experience to look for any malice or levels of nervousness that is abnormal.

"Thank you for your time, we'll give you further notice if you were accepted for the festival."

"Thank you very much." The woman bowed. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Hisui wasn't given time to rest as Karie walked in the room not long after the woman left. "What happened? It's not like you to come in without knocking"

"They identified the drug!"

"Is that true!? What is it then?"

"It's something that only affects wizards, normal people can take it without any problems. But for wizards, they'll temporarily lose their magic powers." Hisui cradled her head when Karie finished. Her head ran through her options while she rubbed her temples in a circle pattern. A constant, subtle groan filled the room.

"I guess I'll have to ask the dragon slayers" Hisui spoke in a defeated tone. "…Karie, please bring them here and tell someone to bring a sample of the drug to my office." Throwing a sympathetic look, Karie poured a cup of hot water for Hisui and left the room. "Thank You." Pulling the cup towards her, Hisui stared at herself, watching it distort to a mess as she blew it gently.

By the time Hisui was finished with her seventh interview, she decided to stop for a while seeing that the drug was delivered to her desk. They were held together in piece of thin paper, folded to squares, five in total.

Placing down a report of the drug, Hisui picked one of them up. With her free hand, she reached for her belt, only to wander back to her pen, a pen that she always had with her—it gave her a sense of security. It was a fountain pen that screamed of luxury, a golden tip that traced up to the handle, with the map of Fiore engraved. At the end of the clip was Fiore's symbol, inlayed with emerald. Hisui pulled on the barrel of the pen, revealing a key that made her look at the packages with distaste.

"Hisui, they're here." Karie's voice snapped Hisui out of her trance, she quickly placed the barrel back on.

"Please come in." Hisui's heart sank seeing her three friends that she didn't want to ask help for. "Thank you for coming, did Karie tell you anything?"

"Nope," Natsu threw his arms behind his head. "only that it's something urgent."

"I guess I'll start from the top, have a seat." Hisui placed down her pen. "When people want to sell at the festival, they have to apply for a permit before they can do so. To get a permit, we would check their wares to make sure that they are safe and have good enough quality to sell to the people.

"However, at a test, we found a drug." Hisui gestured to the five wraps. She took a report next to the them and read off the contents. "It's called Hecto's Mixture, if a normal person took the drug, nothing would happen, it's a different matter entirely if a wizard took it however. You lose your magic." The three made a similar expression, but different enough to reflect on their personalities. "Most likely, the same drug will come at the time of the festival, that's where I want your help, please track down the drugs on the day of the festival."

"Why would someone want to do something this terrible?" Wendy asked.

"Most likely, it's because I'm involved."

"What do you mean?"

"I made some enemies back when I was in the palace, some of them because of our political interests being different, the other is because of petty grudges. I suppose that I left it unattended for too long."

"Who cares about that kind of stuff?" Gajeel said while picking his ear.

"For once, we agree with each other," Natsu slammed his fists together. "whoever tries to harm the city will have to go through us! Let's go!" He turned for the door and Gajeel followed, leaving Wendy to look at the two in confusion.

"You two," Karie started. "do you know where to find these people?" They stopped in their tracks, sweating profusely.

"We'll figure it out later!"

"You don't have a plan…"

"How about this," Hisui said. "I'll try to track down the culprit, for now, I want you three to get a good impression on the drug here, on the day of the festival, please go around the city stalls to find the drugs and report it to us or close the stall. To make sure that no one gets affected, you need to arrive early to inspect the merchandise before the festival starts."

"Why don't we just find the culprit right now, we're still ways away from the festival." Natsu suggested.

"Because we have no leads whatsoever, perhaps we can find some on site."

"Fine." Natsu grabbed the paper bags and handed one to each of his companions. "This stuff stinks." Natsu pinched his nose.

"What's wrong Salamander? Can't handle a litt—" Gajeel threw his head backwards, leaving a shaking Wendy that was slowly delivering the bag to her nose. "Hurry up!" Following Gajeel's demands, Wendy took a deep breath and brought the paper to her nose. She dropped the bag immediately in disgust, holding her nose.

"I don't think we'll forget this stench for as long as we live." Natsu commented.

"I suppose that's a good thing." Hisui said, picking up the lonely bag from the ground. "You should have no problems in picking it out. This is a serious matter, imagine, if everyone in the city can't use magic and suddenly an attack rampages through the city, we'll be defenceless, lives are at risk, I'm counting on you."

"We'll take care of it! Just leave it to us!"

"If there's nothing else that you want to know, you can leave, I'm sorry for calling you out here."

"Don't worry about it, we should be thanking you for telling us of an enemy."

"Also, can you not tell the others? I don't want to cause unnecessary worry."

"You got it! We won't tell a soul!"

"I'm not sure about the Salamander but, we'll be fine." Gajeel snickered.

"What did you say!?"

"I said that you're a blabber-mouth!"

"Before you two start fighting," Karie interrupted. "please go outside, you're disturbing Hisui from working."

"Fine…I'll kick your ass outside." Natsu and Gajeel stormed out the room while exchanging murderous eyes.

"Umm…is it okay if I leave?" Wendy looked at Hisui for permission. Hisui responded with a wry smile.

"You don't have to be so stiff just because I'm working, just treat me like you normally would. Anyway, I do have one more thing to ask of you, do you think that you could keep those two in check? No doubt, once they find some drugs in the store, I'm afraid that they might going around destroying the stalls or start threatening people to talking about where they got the drugs from, do you think, that you can try to control them?"

"I…don't know…I'm not as strong as them, I can't stop them even if I want to…" Wendy looked down to her sandals in shame.

"No, you don't need to fight them to submission, just reason with them. I don't want to ask Erza because her reasoning abilities isn't as good as her fighting capabilities, there's a chance that she might cause more damage in trying to control those two. So, can I count on you?"

"I'll…I'll try my best!"

"Thank you, that's all, if you don't have anything else to ask, you can go back."

"Then, I'll see you later. Good luck with the festival!"

"See you." The girl hurried out the door while Hisui reclined on her chair, picking up her cup and taking a quick sip. She picked up her pen again, toying with it, watching the light bounce to her eyes. Her finger wrapped around the barrel, then to the cap. "Any news about the search?" Pulling off the cap, Hisui asked with her eyes focused to the gold writing tip.

"No, his house had nothing that could be used."

"Karie, do you think, I'm ready to use this one?" Hisui pressed on the grip of the pen and poured in some of her magic. Like casing off a shell, the barrel split into three, equal pieces before falling to the desk. Where the cartridge was supposed to be, was a silver key with a pair of gold wings folded to the side. Connecting the wings to the body were a set of gears, the shaft ran unblemished down to the pins of the key. Of course, the head has Fiore's symbol engraved, only that it was sporting the old symbol—from the time when the kingdom was first established. A circle was at the centre of the flower, and two strips flared out from the bottom, kissing at the top.

"Perhaps, I can't say for sure, I'm not a Celestial Spirit Mage, even back when your mother was here, I wasn't able to see her use this key too often, so I can't gauge whether you can use it or not."

"She has high standards for her master after all." Hisui mused. "But still, I might need to borrow her powers for this one." The Princess place the key back in the pen and the three pieces of barrel found their spots in a bright yellow glow. "That's enough of that, I need to give another interview, you get back to work as well."

"As you wish."

Even as Hisui was interviewing her potential business partners, she found herself eying her pen—never losing her concentration in discerning her opponent at the same time. At times, when she was taking another peek, she questioned her own sanity. After a blink, the blue glow from the pen was gone.

"Perhaps I do need a break."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I apologies if the story seems to be going really slow, I want to speed things up but, I don't write daily anymore so I lose track of some of my ideas when I pick back up the story.**

 **Anyway, for Hisui's key, I don't really have a category already existing to put it, however, the idea of the key is that each kingdom has their own celestial key and Hisui has Fiore's key. Hope you guys are fine with this idea, I've taken bigger liberties before and no on really complained so I'm basically hoping that nothing happens this time.**

 **So I'm pretty sure that you guys have a pretty good idea on how this story is going to progress, the problem is that I have no idea what to do after the festival arc, as always, I hope that you guys can give me a few ideas.**

 **So, that's all I've got to say, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter, have a great day!**


	19. Chapter 19: A Bloody Harvest

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

 _How many times have I already been here?_ Hisui thought, legs freely swinging off a cliff. She looked down at the city she was in-charge of, hearing birds chirping behind her; feeling the dry, crisp air of the night, all those pleasant inputs couldn't match the flickering lights from the city below. She managed to make out the streets from the orange guidelines, allowing Hisui to identify the buildings as well. Her focus was on the large building resting near the shores of a lake, even at midnight, it still shone brighter than any other building in the city. Happy with the scene, Hisui turned to her companion hoping to find the same feeling brimming from the lips.

"Thank you for accompanying out here Natsu."

"Don't sweat it. I'm glad that you like this place." Natsu grinned. Under the city's influence, it made it seem like Natsu only had half a face. Yet, it made him look more mysterious than he really is, giving Hisui the urge to turn his hidden features to face Hisui.

"It helped me many times, when I was tired, frustrated or even scared, I could always turn here."

"You say something pretty terrible things you know?"

"Pardon?"

"Relying on something like this instead of finding your friends."

"They're not always available."

"Then come find me, I'll always find time for you. It's the least I can do for how much work you've put into the city."

"Thank you…" Natsu's serious words and stern face knocked the wrong way Hisui interpreted his words. "Tomorrow is day, are you nervous?"

"What for?"

"You're not?"

"Why should I?"

"That sounds just like you. I am."

"Relax, if all your hard work isn't rewarded, this world must be a crappy place. But, sitting here, proves that it isn't. If that doesn't help you, remember, I'll do whatever I can to make this festival a success, Fairy Tail's pride is on the line."

"Hey Natsu, can I ask a question?"

"What's with you all the sudden? Of course you can! we're friends aren't we?"

"That's true, I was being silly wasn't I? Anyway, I'm not afraid of the festival failing, I'm worried about causing others harm." Hisui let the wind whisper. "Have I told you about my mother?"

"No."

"Then I should start from there. When I was a kid, I was much less behaved than I am now, I snuck out the palace to explore the city. Later, I found that it was my mother that let me go out, she gave me a route where I could sneak out, no doubt I caused her to worry, I came back once with a cut and she has an angry face. Before, I thought that she was angry at me. But now, I knew that she was mad at herself.

"She regretted letting me out, but she let me continue anyway, she must have saw the smile on my face and wanted me to be happy. In exchange, I made my mother worry. In addition to a naughty daughter, my mother was in the middle of a really important reform at the time, adding together the time she made to spend time with her family, her stress was at a level that I can't even imagine.

"I then made some friends in the city, just normal people, we hung out and played for a year until, they found out that I was the Princess. Everything became weird after that, it was like a sunny day after rainy one, you can barely tell it rained at all. They thought that I was playing with their emotions and used them as a way to make fun of…c—commoners with other nobles. Once I grew up, around when I was twelve, I heard that one of my friends developed trust issues.

"That's why I'm scared Natsu, if my people get hurt because of some petty noble grudge, then I don't know what to do. I feel like that there's no way for me to do anything without some compromises."

"You really are an idiot." Natsu said at last, facing Hisui right in the eye. "Have you thought that because of your smile, you were helping with your mom's stress?"

"That's impossible."

"A parent gets no greater joy that seeing their child happy, that's what gramps always said. Igneel was a huge jerk but you know, even back when I was a brat, I felt that he was fine with taking care of me. He may not have known it, there were times when he thought I was sleeping," Natsu grinned, "he said some pretty embarrassing stuff. That's why I can say your smile from going out, helped your mom more than anything else in the world."

"However—"

"Don't worry about the past, the festival's tomorrow, do you really have time to worry about stuff like this?"

"No."

"Then forget about it. Besides, I'm sure that your mom wouldn't want to see you like this, show her the smile that won over everyone in the city. I said this before, you look the best when you're smiling." Natsu rose from the patch of grass he was sitting on and extended a hand to Hisui. "Come on, I'll walk you back."

"I don't think I'm cut for—"

"There you go again, show me your best side, you said that you owe me lots for being there for you every time I helped you for the past few months." Says Natsu, smiling himself to have Hisui do the same. Hisui took Natsu's hand, enjoying how perfect her hand fits into his. A strong tug from Natsu brought Hisui to her feet in one motion, releasing his hold on Hisui's hand in the same second. Losing the lovely feeling in her hand, Hisui sheepishly smiled at Natsu with a hint of greed.

"Can you…carry me? I think that my legs are asleep."

"Then let's get you to sleep too," with a gentle look, Natsu crouched and let Hisui fall on him, "you have a rough day ahead." Natsu fixed Hisui's legs to a better position and walked slowly down a path he made.

"I could say the same to you, you need to wake up earlier than you would."

"I'll be fine, it's not my first time, travelling a lot can do that to you."

"You don't strike me as someone that frequently loses sleep. In the guild, you're always so lively."

"It's not all the time, just when a job gets annoying." They went the rest of the way without another word, just body contact confirming each other's presence.

"Thanks for carrying me here." Hisui climbed off her friend's back, flattening out the creases on her clothes.

"No problem…then, I'll you tomorrow." Natsu turned away slowly.

"Natsu…goodnight."

"Goodnight."

* * *

At dawn, Hisui was on the streets of the Magnolia, looking closely at every stall and performer setting up. Streets lights dominated the dark, creepy vibe, striking shadows and illuminating the corners of the streets—Hisui wished that something simple could do the same to the heavy feeling in her head, filled with unease. She prayed for the safety of her people before shifting back to her duty.

Beside the increasing worried Princess, a petite girl that bunched her navy-blue hair to two streak of silky ribbons that streamed down the side of her head looked at Hisui with concern. A look that Hisui returned upon hearing a yawn.

"Wendy, are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Then let's start with that one." Hisui pointed to a stall that was manned by young lady calmly mixing flour with water. "Good morning, Miss Heartfield, I'm sorry but, we have to examine your ingredients one more time before the festival starts."

"Good morning, of course I have no problems with you checking, it only makes sense that you're looking out for your citizens. However, do you mind me asking why is this year more strict than last year?"

"That's right, you were selling bread last year as well," says Hisui while Wendy examined every bag of ingredients, "I won't say too much, only what's necessary; someone is trying to mess with the festival. So we're trying our best to prevent it."

"Is that true!? Why would anyone want to do this?"

"I have some ideas, nothing definitive. Because I don't have a clear idea, please take care of yourself, I already requested some guards to be transferred from the capital, you still can't be too careful."

"I understand, I won't tell this to anyone."

"Thank you."

"Everything's fine, I don't smell anything wrong." Wendy announced, drawing a sigh from the stall owner.

"Then with that, I wish that your business is successful, have a good day." The two moved on to the next store without waiting for a reply. "I'm sorry Wendy, you might end-up tired by the time we're finished with the inspection."

"Please don't worry about me, I'm just glad that I can help protect the city."

"Maybe I shouldn't have partnered with so many people this time."

"That's not true! You're willing to go this far just so that we can enjoy ourselves to the fullest."

"But still, I feel bad for stunning your growth." A mischievous smile crossed Wendy's vision.

"What do you—I drink plenty of milk!"

"I'm joking, cone on, we have a long way to go."

Nothing was found for the first part of the investigation. Now in an area with a denser population, Hisui grimaced at the number of stalls they have to check. Following the streetlights, stalls were being step-up side-by-side, leaving a wide river at the centre for people to flow through. As they got closer to the stalls, Wendy covered her nose.

"We finally got a hit?" Wendy nodded. "Which one is it?" Hisui asked while motioning for a guard to follow them.

"I have to get closer."

"Don't push yourself." They started from the first stall on the right side. "Good morning…Mr. Iversen was it? Before the festival starts, we have to do one final search."

"Yes it is, my stuff is in the back, please help yourself." Wendy cautiously opened the door to the storage, peering inside, taking a few sniffs as she explored the sacks, crates and bottles. Finding what she wanted, Wendy ran out the room to inform Hisui of the misfortune.

"There is…"

"That's unfortunate…I'm afraid that we have to take away your ingredients or…Wendy, can you check again to see if all of them are drugged?"

"I'll try…" Wendy solemnly walked back to the storage again, ignoring the confused man.

"What's going on? What do you mean drugged?"

"Someone has been tampering with the food suppliers by adding a certain kind of drug to the ingredients they sell. Unfortunately, if we find any, we'll have to take away all the contaminated goods. If everything is affected, I'm afraid you can't sell anything."

"That's unreasonable! You can't just do that!"

"If it means that I can protect the citizens, I have no choice. If it helps, the fee you paid for the permit will be returned to you."

"What about the money I wasted on the food?"

"We can't do anything about that, let's just hope that not all of your purchases are affected." They turned to face the closed doors that stayed shut for quite some time. Seeing a head of blue come out, Hisui hurried over to her companion. "Well?"

"Luckily, only a quarter of the food was affected, I already separated them all out."

"Good work." Hisui looked at the guard that came along with them. "Please take care if the rest."

"It's the ones by the door." Wendy added, following Hisui to their next search.

"Did the smell weaken?"

"Not really…"

"Seems like this will take longer than I thought, I'm counting on you."

"Leave it to me!"

* * *

The sun, much like the number of people on the streets; rose higher to the point where it was similar to a normal day in Magnolia. A large line of people was being funnelled to a wide, open space. Hisui's inspection work finished by the time elderly took their morning walks and now, she's standing on a stage where people were gathering, wearing a simple pearl dress that shone with the sun, using a leather belt to highlight Hisui's figure. Light makeup application hid the tired eyes while her headpiece and necklace divide everyone's attention even more. A silver chain led to a blue, tear-shaped jewel wrapped in a rim of sparkling diamonds. Her headpiece creased and flowed, building up in a spade shape, with the same jewels at the peak of the headwear.

"Good morning everyone, allow me to start by saying thank you for coming out here to help celebrate our festival. To the locals, thank you for your continued support and following with my demands. To our visitors, I hope that you can take the time to enjoy this city to the fullest, it's our pride and hopefully, after today, you would feel the same. Before all that, I sincerely wish that everyone can have a great time today. Whether you're here to experience the culture of this city, or to relax with your family, perhaps you hope to find something special today. In any case, I wish that you can find what you were looking for.

"Before I go on to the schedule of the festival, I want to take this time in thanking my staff and my team that has worked hard for more than a month. In this short time, I learned a lot, and without them, I would have collapsed on day one. So please, give a round of applause to everyone that hasn't been given nearly enough credit for making this festival possible.

"…now, once my speech is over, the first mayor event is Fairy Tail's "Miss Fairy Tail Contest", it starts in one and a half hours, so until then, you can enjoy the various stall setup or make memories with the splendid performers that has come all the way here to brighten-up the city. We'll make broadcasts of the coming events in-case anyone has missed previous announcements. Therefore, you don't have to worry about missing an event you've been looking forward to.

"If you have issues in finding the venue, we've stationed guards all around the city, please ask them if you have any trouble. Another alternative is to refer to the map that we have prepared and will be distributed throughout the city. Finally, all that's left is for you to enjoy what the festival has to offer."

Like leaves scattering in the autumn winds, the people dispersed after a thunderous applause. Hisui stepped down from her podium to meet a proud Karie.

"Good work."

"Has anything happened so far?"

"Not since the investigation."

"Speaking of which, how many did we get?"

"Around fifty, we had to close twenty of the stalls."

"That's better than I thought."

"We did find a disturbing detail."

"That is?"

"The stalls that were found to have drugs, they tend to gather around the guild."

"Not really surprising is it? They're only targeting wizards with them."

"In any case, we can't let our guard down." Karie presented a pen that Hisui took and clipped it to her belt.

"Hopefully, it won't come to it." Karie smiled slightly.

"I didn't take you to be positive type."

"I'm not, I know the consequences of holding onto hope that doesn't exist." Hisui patted her pen while looking at the thinning crowd.

The festival painted the city with flashy colours, each one of them mingling together to depictions of animals and flowers. Magical projections of store emblems floated in the air; children frolicked with snacks in their hands; couples trailed the streets hand-in-hand. Hisui was acting like the festival wasn't there at all, meticulously watching over the streets out her office window.

"Maybe we deterred the follow-up?" A tall man suggested, taking off his glasses to wipe the sweat from his brows.

"Don't be silly Andre, someone that went as far as infect food from multiple suppliers won't stop just because we got rid of all of them." Hisui dismissed the comment without moving her eyes away.

"Why don't you take a rest? I heard that the folks at Fairy Tail invited you for presenting the prize for their contest."

"They did, that wouldn't be fair if I did attend, they're not the only people that asked me to present a prize."

"But still, it's more better for you to be at Fairy Tail, we can contact you immediately if we find something. Also, they can protect you if something does happen."

"There's no need, I don't think anyone will try to attack me with Karie around."

"Then why don't you enjoy the festival? You've worked so hard, it's a shame that you don't experience it first-hand. I feel bad that you're the only one that's working so hard, yet people like me is slacking off."

"Who says I'm not having fun?"

"Huh?"

"Perhaps it's because of my mother, but, whenever she finished a job for her people, no matter how tired she was, she showed no signs of regret and in fact, even though she wasn't able to enjoy the benefits to fought for, just seeing her people happy, made a projection on her own life."

"I'd say you're a spitting image of the late Queen."

"Hardly," Hisui moved her eyes to the blue sky. "in some ways, my mother was a—" a roar shook the city, followed by countless more, combining to a crashing wave that battered against Hisui's nerves.

"What the?"

"That's their attack!?"

"But…no way! This wasn't supposed to happen yet!" With a paled face, Andre took a handful of papers and threw them at Hisui, rushing out the door not long after.

"Karie!" Hisui shouted to her servant outside. "Capture him!" A scream later, Karie came in Hisui's office with a restrained man with tears threatening to fall. "I'm honestly impressed, you managed to deceive me. Can you tell me what your superiors were planning?"

"I can't, they'll get killed!"

"I see, that how they did it." Hisui's tone mellowed out. "Your family was threatened. And thinking back, for the past few weeks, you've been avoiding contact with me for as much as possible, I assume it's so that I can't tell if you were lying to me or not. Regardless, unless you tell me what's going to happen, I can't help you, you don't understand who you're working for, I hesitate to even admit we're the same species.

"We don't have much time so I'll make it brief, whether you decide to tell me or not, you'll get targeted after this is all over, that's how they work, if there's chance that their crimes are revealed, they'll nip it at the bud. Now, you can cooperate with me and increase your chances of getting retribution or, potentially lose lives because you refuse to tell me."

"Can you protect my family?"

"I'll use everything in my power."

"Those are Maddening Hounds, starved for days and trained to kill since they were young." Hearing Karie's gasp, Hisui turned her attention to her friend.

"I've never heard of them."

"They're a rare breed of hounds we use back in the capital…no, I would say they're the same, only the upbringing is different."

"How long does it take for them to mature?"

"Around three years."

"That narrows down my search drastically. For now, make an emergency broadcast, tell everyone to get inside and bar the doors, all visitors are to find evacuate to Fairy Tail." Hisui stared at Andre. "Hurry!" Andre scrambled to his feet and rushed out the room. Hisui snatched her pen from her bell "Let's go someplace with a wider area." She threw open the windows and looked back to Karie to see that her friend casted away her maid uniform.

"You would break people's heart if they knew you would jump out the windows."

"But I'm not," says Hisui, letting herself get picked up. "you are." She felt a sudden weightlessness, the wind blew into Hisui's hair, tossing her barrette around. "You think this is enough space?" Hisui looked around on the open space, ignoring her panicking people.

"No problems, just expect some damage."

"That would be ironic wouldn't it? I'm trying to protect people but summoning her ended up hurting them." Adopting a serious expression, Hisui pulled her key from the pen. "Open! Gate of the Blossoming Kingdom, Fiore!" The two wings on Hisui's key spread open, a golden light shot out from the key and quickly planted itself to the ground.

It started with stone bricks being catapulted to the air, leaving a gaping hole. Massive thorns—as thick as a tree trunk—sprouted from the hole created. As if they were hands, the thorn gripped on the surrounding buildings and snaked along the ground, pulling up a house-size bud. Nearby flowers blossomed; moss in the seams of bricks shot out; tree grew taller than buildings.

When the bud started to open, an explosion of magic leaked out, giving Hisui a glimpse of two slender arms, a pair of legs rooted to the ground and hair darker than her own. A bewitching smell scattered from the winds, a mix of countless flowers without clashing with each other. With a quake, the petals slammed the ground, revealing a completely naked woman with green skin standing where the stigma should be. The petals wrapped around the woman, forming a sanguine red dress with vines acting as highlights. She looked at Hisui with glee using her yellow eyes that swirled like a storm of pollen.

"It's been so long Hisui!" The roots around the woman's feet transformed to a pair of red high heels.

"Like wise Fiore, has you been well?"

"No, no, no!" Fiore ran up to Hisui and wrapped her in a hug. "I told you, didn't I? Call me Fi, that's how it's always been, even your mother called me Fi you know? Speaking of which, why don't you summon me more often!?" Fiore pouted, releasing her grip on Hisui. "I get lonely you know? The other kingdom spirits are so boring!"

"But, didn't you say to not call you until I become worthy?"

"Did I say that? Who cares! Just summon me more often!"

"Fi…"

"Don't dwell on that, you've become a splendid ruler! Carol would say the say too."

"Anyway, I need your help, we're under attack from Maddening Hounds, can you calm them down?"

"Even for me, when you're dealing such bloodthirsty creature, my pollen won't do much."

"Then, can you protect everyone in the city?"

"No problem!" With a snap of a finger, the thorns that were crawling along the walls, shot seeds to the sky, enough to turn the sky black. They scattered, targeting the people that were running and the ones that already found shelter, the two that remained was gently absorbed by Hisui and Karie. "There we go; however, it won't last if someone gets caught out by multiple hounds."

"So we have to eliminate the hounds while we still have a buffer."

"Precisely!" At those words, Karie drew a dagger, put herself between the threat and Hisui, glared down an alley that released a low, guttural growl conveying nothing but bloodlust.

What came out was a pack of snarling hounds, six in total and each of them surpassing a tiger in size. Teeth glinting with hunger, creating a steady drip of want—some had traces of blood. A jet-black, dirty coat of fur covered parts of their body, with scars and wounds handling the rest.

"What did they do to them!?" Hisui took a step back. "Was I too late?"

"We need to save the questioning for later." Karie summoned a dagger and threw it at the hounds, only to have it hit the floor.

"Fi, can you restrain them?"

"Okaay!" Adding a wink, Fiore raised her hand, a dome of thorns circled the hounds, one was pierced through the heart and another escaped the green prison. "They really are a bother, we can safely say that they were well fed and raised with survival of the fittest as the doctrine." Then, the trapped hounds turned their teeth at the thorns, drawing blood that seemingly increased their own hunger.

Karie rushed at the isolated hound, meeting a palm-sized fangs with an equally deadly tool. With her free hand, warded the teeth that was going for her neck and aimed a slash at the paws trying to pin her down. Seeing the dagger embedded in flesh, Karie summoned a small knife and jammed it between the hound's topaz eyes, finishing it with a kick to the snout and springing away from the dying creature. Looking back, Karie found three restrained hounds around Hisui being strangled by the neck.

"Really, such a bothersome bunch," Fiore placed a hand on her cheek. "using their friends as a decoy."

"Fi," no warmth could be found in Hisui's voice. "finish them off, we don't have time for this, I need to help people evacuate."

"You're still as stiff as ever huh? I understand." Whines erupted from the cage of thorns, blood ran along the mortar joints. Silence followed as the three didn't look at the punctured corpses, walking towards the loudest source of terror while the thorns slowly withered, leaving behind a dry, blood-stained wall of thorns; an ugly carcass.

Hisui tried her best to calm down the running people while pushing her way pass them; a shovel on a cold winter day. When they found an empty part of the city, three hounds were already dead—one reduced to pink, fleshy bone—with a burly man sitting on one of them. A steel club lay by his feet, being rolled around by a pair of worn fur boots. The scars on his torso and bald head sang of the encounters with death while his feral eyes announce his victories.

Beside the brute, was an entirely different era, white cuffs, ironed, black suit and beams of light from shoes. Unlike that club, a rapier hung at the man's hip. The man's round, symmetrical hair; his glossy red hair made Karie and Hisui internally groan.

"Stupid mutts, what kind of training you guys did to them!? How to be a dumbass!? Attacking the masters, I know I shouldn't trust some noble trash!"

"I could say the same to you! Have you no shame!? Eating raw hounds, if it wasn't for my reward, I wouldn't work with brutes like you!" The duo bickered without noticing Fiore's pretence with her intense, heavy magic and dancing thorns.

"Earl Howard!" Hisui exploded. "Why don't you tell me what are you doing? Attacking a major city like this, surely you know I'm in-charge of this land? I suppose you already thought about the consequences?" Unfazed by the harsh green eyes, Howard turned, his eyes purely on Karie.

"It's been too long Karie! How about we do away with the nonsense and join me? I'll even leave the Princess alone."

"I believe that I told you, I have no interest in leaving her, especially with someone like you."

"You hurt me, what have I done to deserve such hate?"

"If you can't even figure that out, then there's no point in us talking any further."

"That's a shame, Butcher, I'll leave the Princess to you, I have a date with this lovely lady." Gloved hands drew Howard's rapier, flexed the tip of the blade before assuming a well-trained stance, offhand on the hip and the main hand aimed at Karie. "Don't worry, I won't kill you, maybe disable your legs so you can't run away from me."

"Fi, I don't have much battle experience, is his strong?"

"Well," the spirit struck a troubled pose, hand cradling her face. "he's not your average person, or wizard, there's something about him that rubs me the wrong way, like when I'm fighting against a fire wizard."

"So, we're mismatched?"

"It'll be fine! I'm not a super strong spirit for nothing!"

Stone bricks flew the moment Fiore finished boasting, thorns shoved away material without slowing down, springing from the ground in unison. Trapped in jaws of deadly plants, the burly man shrugged his shoulders and pillars of dark flames intercepted the thorns while lazily picking up his club. He pointed his club at Hisui. Temperatures rose, the thorns wrinkled and steamed. A crimson wall shut down all of Hisui's vision that was replaced the smell of flowers, charcoal and a flash of glamor.

"Aren't you a rude boy? I was planning to go easy on you." The surrounding plants grew ferociously, canopies blocked out the sun, leaving the only illumination being the eerie, blood flames. "No one touches my cute master without paying the price!" Under the dim lighting, Hisui was the only one seeing light pollen coming from Fiore.

Unlike the chaotic fight between Fiore and Butcher, Karie and Howard stood far apart from each other, keeping the weapons out of reach. A few light exchanges occurred before the sun was blocked out. Howard used his reach to his advantage, keeping Karie away while swatting the flying daggers.

"Come on, show me your lovely style! Aren't you being more reserved? Could it be you've finally fallen for me?" Three more daggers were thrown. "Do you really think that you can get me with tricks like this?" Twenty daggers aimed for Howard's life while Karie rushed in. "Now that's more like it!" Howard dodged most of the threats, the rest he blocked. However, Karie was past Howard's blade and closing in on his throat. "So close." Howard's offhand stuck Karie's stomach, blowing her away.

"What…was that?"

"Not bad."

"What did you do! Even with your magic, that was too effective."

"True," Howard mused, slowly sliding off his gloves. Black, ugly skin, bulging with magic. Seeing no traces of human under the glove, Karie took some distance. "I wouldn't be able to match you if it wasn't for this." Howard drew in his pockets and dangled a vial of purple liquid. "I did this all for you. You never looked my way, seeing me like trash. So I thought, if I couldn't win your love, I'll claim it without consent!" He tipped the vial in his mouth and tossed the empty vessel away. "What the? This…isn't supposed to happen!" Howard hugged his head, throwing his weight around as his screams expanded far beyond the forest Fiore made. "Ka—Karie…save me!"

Howard grew, doubling in size. Being stripped of his human features as the cost. His red hair turned muddy, becoming thicker like needles, shredding the suit as more bristles shot out from the body. A tail flicked to the winds; mindless howls took over; claws dug into the ground. A snout snarled at Karie, yellow eyes studied her.

"Can't move, now can you?" Fiore taunted, playing with a flower blossoming in her hands. She licked her lips seeing her paralyzed opponent.

"You witch! What did you do!?"

"You really think that these trees are for show? No, I was spreading my pollen in their shadows, your flames helped quite a bit actually. Don't make such a face, blame it on yourself for attacking Hisui. Now—"

"Fi! Finish him! We need to help Karie!" Fiore looked over to see Karie jumping from tree to tree, hopelessly watch her daggers bounce off Howard's beast body.

"Don't we need to question him?"

"Who cares if Karie is going to die!?"

"Don't worry, in times like this, you count on friends, isn't that right boy?" Fiore snapped her fingers and the trees parted. Something ran pass Fiore, taking all the residual flames with it. Temperatures rose again, this time, it was a warmth that Hisui was familiar with.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" A torrent of dark flames broke trees as they travelled to its target, slamming Howard's back in a constant stream of heat and anger. Howls erupted from the beast as it cautiously watched the new enemy. "I owe you one, this forest was too dense."

"Natsu!" Hisui cried.

"Sorry I was late, I was eating to recover."

"See Hisui? You don't have to worry about a thing." Thorns wriggled up Butcher's body. "Now, how about we make this filth more…safe?" The bindings around the limbs tightened until screams haunted the forest. "There, much better, just be glad that I didn't break them off."

"As always, your methods are too extreme."

"But he was hurting my cute master! Anyone that touches a hair on Carol's and mine's treasure will first-hand experience nature's wrath." Fiore rubbed her cheek against Hisui's flushing face, regardless of the resisting hands. "Well, let's get things started." Fiore flicked her wrist, blue powder draped over her captive. "He's all yours now, I'm going to help out with that mutt. Just in case," Fiore gingerly placed a white flower crown on Hisui's head. "have fun!"

"Have fun…" Hisui looked at the man bleeding profusely. "I guess I should start by asking, who hired you?"

"I…don't…know…" The man grunted with gritted teeth.

"Shocking isn't it? You feel like you have no control over your body, what Fi did was simply force you to respond to questions, it makes you say the first thing that you thought of. Now, what do you mean by that?"

"I was…I was just sent a letter…I never met the person hiring me."

"That's a bit more annoying, no matter, I have other questions that need answers, and I hope that you can help me."

After the first blast of flames, Howard changed focus to Natsu, raking his claws at the dragon slayer, felling trees and slashing air. Thrown off-balance by the sudden growth of a tree, Natsu slammed his fist to the snout while Karie flashed knives to the joints where there was little to no protection. Howard jumped away from the crater Natsu made and howled.

"Really," Fiore looked around at the burning and smashed plants. "you two have no respect for my creations. What did he take I wonder? It certainly increased his speed, his power is top-notch for a beast, if he wasn't so feral, I would want one as a pet…"

"Great Kingdom Spirit, I wish that you focus on subduing him first." Karie say with plenty of ire in her voice.

"There you go with the stiff titles, I said to stop, didn't I? I feel old when people treat me so formally."

"Hey lady!" Natsu shouted. "Can you slow him down? I can't get a good hit on him."

"I'll let that slide this time since you don't know my name. But yes, I can." Fiore's arm turned glossy, dew rolled to her hands, gathering into a golden orb. A whirlpool of colours focused at the centre of the orb, glowing brighter as more viscous liquid accumulated.

"That smells really good."

"Of course it does, it's my nectar, nothing can compare to it. Get ready." Natsu's body was wrapped in flames, Karie summoned a fan of blades, both waiting for their signal.

"All set!" Howard was bombarded with small golden bullets that took from the large source of nectar from Fiore's hands at speeds that made it hard for Howard to dodge everything.

Starting from the feet, Howard was cemented to the ground. Then his movements were slowed in a sweet, sticky bath that drove ants and other insects to surround him. Blood tainted the pleasant mixture once Karie's weapons opened wounds. Following that was an arrow of a spiralling inferno launching to Howard's chin. The nectar bubbled and caramelized by the heat of the surrounding air. The growling ceased, highlighting the crackling fire and the questioning from Hisui.

"I think that did it!" Natsu reported cheerfully.

"Thank you Natsu, you cleaned up my mistakes."

"Hey don't sweat it. I'm just glad that I came here on time."

"Speaking of which, what happened to the other hounds?"

"The guild took care of the rest of them, all that's left is the announcement for the festival to continue."

"Even after all that's happened?"

"If we're going to let something like this stop us from partying, they underestimated this city. Besides, if we cancel it, that's like letting these assholes win." Natsu kicked the unconscious Howard.

"Let me talk with Hisui about it, can you carry Howard to confinement?"

"Sure!" Natsu bent down to reach for Howard when a beam of light pierced the needles and into the skull. "…Bastards, killing their own people…and I can't smell anything, they're gone." Karie quickly ran over to Hisui upon seeing the tragedy.

"Are you alright!?"

"Fine, I suppose that means the same thing has happened to you?"

"Earl Howard is dead."

"In the end, he was just used and discarded, I still have no idea why was he so fixated on you."

"Who cares about that!" Natsu shouted. "Let's get the festival restarted already!"

"Even with what happened?"

"Of course! It's a special day, we can't people like them ruin it!"

"Let me think about it, first we need to deal with the other hounds."

"We're done with that already."

"I guess I should have expected that from you guys. Now, I need to know how many people are injured or even…died. Fi, can you tell me how many people got injured?"

"None of my seeds were destroyed, so the only chances of anyone being hurt is when they got attacked before my seeds got to them."

"Then please check for victims," Hisui looked at Karie that left the area immediately. "then we need to make sure that everything is safe for everyone."

"Leave that to me!" Natsu rushed off with vigour.

"All that's left is to announce the situation, thank you for helping me Fi you really—"

"Stop! Don't talk like you're going to send me away! I'm going with you."

"But there's no reason for you—"

"It's been three years since I've been called to your world, I'm not going to be called for battle then summoned away just like that! I want to spend more time with you."

"But you attract so much attention."

"Don't worry about that, I'm your guardian, of course I have a more unobtrusive way to travel." Fiore lightly tapped the flower crown on Hisui's head and disappeared in a flash of light. "How's that?"

"Where are you?" Looking around, the Princess saw nothing in sight that could resemble her spirit.

"In your hair of course!" Using Hisui's hair like a rope, Fiore—now in a childish white dress—entered Hisui's view like an explorer descending a pit cave. Unlike her full-size form, Fiore is now a child keeping every other feature save the hair and the eyes. Her hair was a sapling green rather than a rich mature plant; eyes were an earthy soil, rich in nutrients. "Now, there's no worries!"

"Fine…"

"I knew you would come around eventually." Hisui made her way back to her office.

"Fi you look really adorable."

"And I thought that you would never comment on it."

* * *

Hisui got a good look at the streets on her way back, while messy, it was nothing that can't be cleaned with little effort. Food spattered to the floor, bags were controlled by wind. Turning another corner, remains of struggle sliced at Hisui's composure. Dead hounds were stacked in a pile, blood was everywhere in puddles, fur and clothes—both shredded—were soaking in the thick, scarlet water. A bitten-off arm caught Hisui's attention, the owner was wearing a striped blue shirt. It wasn't a clean separation, bones shards stuck to tissue while the flesh itself was in an ugly, misshapen mess.

By the time Hisui was back in her building, her brain processed much and was confused. On one hand, Hisui didn't see too much signs of people getting hurt and certainly no corpses. Yet, on the other, the fact that someone was hurt because of her. Failure; was the only word that came out. Her hands were wrapped around a microphone, but she couldn't speak.

"Come on," Fiore's voice lacked any playfulness but concern, and experience. "as the leader, the people are waiting for you to reassure them, I know that it's painfully. But it's your responsibility to let the people know."

"I know that!" Fiore placed her two hands on Hisui's shaking one. "But it's still hard…"

"Shall I do it for you then?"

"No…I have to do it myself."

"You can do it." Hisui turned on the microphone.

"Attention, we've repelled the attack and we're securing the city to make sure that everything is safe for everyone to come out. First off, I apologise for causing all of this. Despite knowing that this might happen, I didn't prepare enough for what happened, and I hope that you can accept my sincere apology. I'm sorry to the people that were affected in this attack. If you were to blame anyone for this, blame no else but me.

"I know today was something that everyone was excited for and made time for, because of this…because of my inability protect my citizens, I ruined everyone's plans and expectations. Currently, we're under talks on when to hold the festival again, we will notify everyone once we've come to a conclusion. Please stay inside until we give the announcement saying that the city is safe. Thank you for your patience, please wait for further notice." The door opened with Karie rushing in, haggard breath and holding a piece of paper.

"Around fifty people were injured, but no one has died."

"That's something good at last."

"We also received word that there isn't anything threatening left in the city or outside. It's like nothing happened."

"Then, have people clean up the streets." Hisui eyed the paper in Karie's hands. "Is that the affected people?"

"Yes." Karie handed the paper to Hisui. "I'll get to cleaning."

"Thank you…Karie, I found an arm, it was torn pretty badly. Can that…be reattached?"

"I'm not sure. If it can't, they can use a synthetic arm as the replacement."

"Thanks, I won't bother you anymore."

After two days, the festival officially resumed. Though seeing the happy streets out her window, Hisui's heart was still heavy. She barely took any rest during the two days, making sure that everyone was safe, helping with the cleaning and talking with people to extent to contracts she had with her partners. Currently, she was investigating the person behind the attack. Primarily, finding for a way to expose the mastermind.

Two sharp knocks accompanied by a swinging window enter the room. "You're still working? Come on, have you seen the sky? It's a shame not to go out in a day like this!"

"Natsu, go away, I'm busy. Also, can you come in through the door next time?"

"What's the big deal? It's faster this way."

"It's not the matter of fast or slow, we've had this conversation before, didn't you say that you would come in through the door next time? What happened to your promise?"

"You sound mad."

"No such thing, I've just been working peacefully until a brute stormed in my office _through the window_ and not the door like a normal person. And now, said person wants me to have fun and abandon my duties when it's because of my own ineptitude that caused the festival to be delayed in the first place. Why would I be upset?"

"Alright, alright, I'll come back at night, you're coming to see the parade, right?"

"No…I won't, I need to investigate something after I'm done with this," Hisui's pen stopped to show Natsu the stack of books and papers she was taking notes from. "I'm sorry Natsu, I really am…"

"It won't take long. Come on, working all day is bad for you."

"I'm well aware of that, but—"

"Then that's more than enough reason to go!"

"No—"

"Everyone is waiting for you to show up."

"I still—"

"We won't take no for an answer."

"Fine! I'll show up! Now get out of here so I can concentrate."

"You got it!"

"Not the wind—never mind…"

The autumn night quickly showed itself—much to Hisui's dismay—bringing soothing winds, dancing stars and a bright, halfmoon. Cheers were erupting, chanting for the parade to start were equally loud. Looking down from her office, Hisui got a perfect view of the streetlights charting a pathway for the parade. It ran along the longest street of the city, starting from the Fairy Tail building to the gate at the end of the city.

"Are you ready?"

"Natsu, I said to come from the—" Hisui turned to the source of Natsu's voice. "Door." Seeing that Natsu was at the door wearing a knight costume, it struck Hisui speechless. Except from the lack of helmet—replaced by a blue cat—Natsu's suit of armour was close to the ones back in the palace, only more flamboyant with gold metal decorating the suit.

"I did."

"That's your costume?"

"Yup!"

"That really doesn't work on you."

"Aye! I think so too, Natsu destroys, not protect!"

"Hey!"

"That's not quite true Happy," Hisui walked over to tighten the breastplate. "dragons protect what they hold dear. In this case, it's everyone in Fairy Tail."

"So are you ready for the parade?"

"I still don't think that I should be watching the parade when I'm busy right now. But, I'm planning to keep my word, seeing how you're keeping yours, for now."

"Then let's go!" Before long, Hisui found herself among the streets. After giving Hisui a prime spot for Hisui, Natsu dashed off, letting her watch light coming from the float get closer. Projections splashed the sky, magic exploded into arrays of colours.

Leading the parade was three girls dancing with batons in their hands. Even with the distance, Hisui had no trouble in identifying the performers either from the cheers or with her own eyes picking out signature features.

A few moments into the parade, Hisui forgotten about her troubles and finally joined the crowd in smiling at the effects and polished performance of her friends, waving as each member went past. Then came Natsu's float. In his suit of armour, Natsu made a sword of flames, swinging it several times, striking poses—spreading heat waves to the crowd with each movement.

"This is pretty nice, I haven't seen a parade like this in a long time." A childish squeak came down from Hisui's hair.

"Fi!? Why are you here?"

"Oh, I invited myself, it really is too boring over there, those guys boast about how great their domains are while playing chess, staying by your side is much more fun!"

"How come there isn't any overgrowth?"

"That's because I wanted to surprise you, making a giant crater in the ground and everything wouldn't have the same effect."

"So all that was just for show?"

"No, if I was full-sized, I need to bloom, this pixie form doesn't.

"Interesting…well, you came at a pretty bad time, it's almost ending."

"But I just got here! Why didn't you summon me?"

"Because I didn't want to cause so much damage."

"Meanie!"

The festival was finally mellowing out with the end of the parade, Fiore sulked off in a burst of wilted flowers, the crowd dispersed, and Hisui was about to leave for Fairy Hills. "What did you think?" Natsu asked, now in his usual clothes.

"You sure changed fast."

"I wanted to know how you felt."

"It was fantastic, I forgot about my worries."

"That's good enough!" Natsu grinned. "Where are you going now?"

"Home, I won't be able to sleep if I keep working."

"Can I hold you up for a bit longer?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Follow me." With a smile, Natsu led Hisui to a quieter part of the city, primarily sounds of nature became the background noise. The roads were less maintained, dirt accrued. The buildings were wooden, with enough space for people to walk between them.

"So, what's so important that needs privacy?" Hisui asked.

"I love you."

"Excuse…me?"

"I know you heard me, I love you."

"This seems a bit sudden—"

"It isn't sudden, for a while now, I've been meaning to tell you."

"When?"

"Half a year ago. When you first came to the city, I thought that you were just a reckless Princess that doesn't care about herself. And now that I think about it, that's what interested me. You put others before yourself. Before I knew it, I couldn't that my eyes off you."

"So you always being around me is?"

"Me trying to help you." Natsu answered with a flushed face. "So, your answer?"

"I…don't know, can you…give me some time to think about it? Not a week or so, even I don't know how long it'll take. Honestly, I never thought about love that much, my life is so busy that I don't time for those kinds of things. I mean, it wouldn't be fair for my partner would it? Even though I'm in a relationship, the time we'll spend together might be less than colleagues. That's why I turned down every advance so far, I wanted to be fair to those who love me, to repay the same amount of love given to me. But, I can't do that with my timetable.

"Of course, the constant marriage proposals I get turned me off to the idea of love even further, I didn't want to the bound by things like that. When I came here, seeing how free you all are…was lovely. Coming here changed me more that I ever thought to be possible. Natsu, you, had the biggest role in all of this.

"I've come to enjoy your silliness, your undying loyalty for people you care about, your cheerfulness that brightens up my day. And the time we spent together is something truly precious that I won't ever give up. However, there are still some things—many things that I'm not sure about, whether this feeling I have now is love, or…something else entirely. There are times when I acted differently towards you, I felt safe when I'm with you. For me, that's not enough.

"That's why I want to ask for more time, it might take a while. And if you're willing to wait, if I reply with yes, you'll know that my heart, and soul, perhaps even my body," Hisui said with a blush, "will have space for another, that person will be you. When that happens, time, class and the like won't be a factor, just me and you. Are you willing to wait for an indefinite amount of time for something like that?"

"If I were to back down from this just because of a wait, I wouldn't have confessed to you."

" _Do_ you know what you're getting into? Courting a Princess is more of a hassle than you think. I should change the question; do you think you can be a king?"

"By myself? No chance, will you? No problem."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! After almost two weeks, this chapter is finally complete! To be honest, I could have split this into at least two chapter but, I don't see a point.**

 **It turns out, proofreading a chapter with 8500+ words is pretty hard, so, if there's any mistakes, please forgive me!**

 **Also, I'm sorry for having the fight scene be so short, it's honestly not my strong point and I'm trying to improve it. Since I didn't want to bore you with crappy fight screen, I made it shorter.**

 **In any case, I'm finally tackling the other side of this story a bit more seriously, I'm sure you guys can see how this is going to turn out. Yeah, this is an excuse for me to have Hisui think about Natsu a lot more.**

 **So, I want some chapter ideas on how to advance their relationships, I really want to get to the fluffy stuff but, I can't think of anything at the moment.**

 **To be honest, I think that this story has run it's course, so unless I switch to something more different, I'm going to struggle. But, that's for me to solve, hopefully it won't take as long, but most likely it will.**

 **Until then, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, have a nice day!**


	20. Chapter 20: Dodging The Problem

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

"What's wrong?" Karie placed a cup of tea on Hisui's desk, or rather, placing it on the little space that she could find. "It's not like you to be so slow in your work." The reference books and paper stacked higher than normal, covering the person behind the desk with the occasional frantic scratching of pen to paper leaking out the barrier.

"It's nothing…" Hisui reassured.

"You said that five times now, come on, why don't you tell me what happened last night, you haven't been the same since the festival." Hisui stopped her pen.

"Maybe I need a break."

"Perhaps you do, you barely took any during the entire festival period." Karie moved away the stacks of material. "Just relax, I'll call you when it's time for lunch." Karie handed Hisui a pillow from a sofa and ran her fingers through Hisui's loosened hair.

"Thanks…" At the sound of the doors closing, Hisui sighed, her mind wandered away to the events that happened after the festival. It was a lot more romantic in her mind's replay than it actually was, the faint smell of smoke linger with each word that Natsu uttered. They were farther away than she thought, close enough to see each other's eyes in the dark, but not enough for Hisui to see his eyes twinkle with excitement. Yet, she see saw it clearly in her replay. They were vivid—more so than the real experience last night, filling Hisui with a bubbling lightness that rushed to her head.

"Why is this happening now? So many people confessed to me and I never had such a reaction. Am I sick?" Hisui felt her hot cheeks and a quick glance to a mirror showed a healthy shade of red in her otherwise, white face. After splashing her head like waves on the pillow, Hisui decided to take a walk in an autumn that was reaching the later stages of its life. Putting on a brown winter coat, Hisui slipped on her boots, tied her head with a plain, black band and embraced the chilly city.

A healthy number of leaves painted the ground with the colours of Autumn, they stained the stone bricks and tumbled to Hisui's footsteps. The caressing of winds and the energetic cries of children running helped Hisui's warm face. Currently, she was tracing the road to Fairy Tail. She stopped, turned the opposite way, walked a few steps before going back to her original path.

Hisui stopped at the guild door and took a deep breath. She swatted away the urge to return and pushed the door; a wild scene opened-up before her eyes. "Hisui?" Mirajane called out, dodging a dirty plate as she made her way to greet her friend. "I thought that you said you were busy."

"I thought that I could use a break, I haven't made much progress in my work today."

"I wouldn't be surprised, Karie told me that you've been working non-stop for the pass two months or so. She may not show it but, it really worried her."

"I know, that's why I'm going to take it easy for a while, besides, most of the urgent matters, I already had them taken care of, the rest can be handled by the rest of my team."

"That's good." After sidestepping her brother, Mirajane looked around the guild. "Let's go somewhere more peaceful."

"Shouldn't you look after him?" Hisui eyed Elfman among the pile on unconscious guild members.

"If he was younger, I would have. But lately, he seems to want to prove to himself that he's tougher. Although, I think he forgets that he should ask for help sometimes."

"Then, I think the library should have the other people that's seeking refuge."

"Perfect! I have some snacks resting in the kitchen, you go ahead!" Stepping over an arm, Hisui stumbled her way to the library, relieved to know that the noise cancellation is still functioning. In exchange of the rowdy roars and screams of pain or fear, giggles and chatter filled the room. In the reading room, Hisui found that the armchairs were arranged in a circle, which held Hisui's friends.

"Hisui! Over here!" Levy said.

"Didn't you say that you were busy?" Lisanna added.

"I'm taking a break."

"That's great, with haven't talked like this in a while, you've been taking showers, so we couldn't even talk in the baths." Laki said.

"Where's Bisca?"

"She's out on a job with her family." Wendy replied, taking a sip from her glass of orange juice. Hisui joined the circle and Mirajane entered shortly after, filling the room with the smell of butter, vanilla and cinnamon.

"That's strange, I thought that they would be more people, where's Lucy?"

"I think that she got caught in the crossfire," Lisanna provided. "and Cana is drinking outside."

"That's a shame, I think that I did a good job on these cookies." Mirajane placed three cookies in each plate and handed one to everyone. "What were you talking about?" Mirajane asked, taking a seat herself.

"We were talking about going on a trip."

"Did something happen?" Mirajane pulled her chair closer.

"Me, Levy and Wendy went on a job remember?" Seeing her sister nod, Lisanna continued. "After helping the manager of the resort, he said that we did such a great job that we're allowed to invite some of our guild members to relax."

"That's great!"

"It doesn't end there, we didn't take the offer, but we asked if we can get a discount for booking rooms instead. We wanted to invite the whole guild to the resort, it wouldn't feel right if we all don't go!"

"How did it go?"

"It was a huge success!" Levy exclaimed. "Since we have so many people, we have to work out how many people are planning to go, the manager can't give that many people too low of a discount."

"Then how many people ended up agreeing?"

"About half of the guild, we counted Hisui and Karie of course!"

"Me and Karie too!?"

"Of course! Unless you want to say that you're not a part of us?"

"No that's not it, it's just…if I go on a resort while the rest of my team has to work... that wouldn't be fair. Sorry but…can I ask everyone first?"

"No problem, just tell me if you got an okay or not."

"I will."

"So," MIrajane started, "where is it?"

"It's by a beach called Trefer," Levy replied, "have you heard of Twin Island Resort?"

"Can't say I have."

"It just opened not too long ago…for three months I think. It's called Twin Island because the resort is split into two main parts, both of them are well received by the previous tourists. Though we only had time to check out the spas, I can say that they were really nice."

"That sounds great! When are we going?"

"Assuming we have the list ready by this week, I'd say that we should be going in two weeks at the latest."

"Hisui you should come with us! A couple days-off can really help with your problem, I know that modelling all the time can get tiring with all the requirements the cameraman has. Once I took some days-off, I felt like a different person entirely."

"Yeah it'll be fun!" Lisanna added.

"We're worried about you." Laki commented.

"I'll see what I can do. At the end of the day, it really depends on whether the work load is light enough for me and Karie to go on a trip like this."

"Then that's enough of that topic." Levy said. "Has everyone been to that new café nearby?"

"I have," started Wendy, "Carla said that the tea isn't that great, the fruit cake I had was good though."

"I might have to go there with Luc—"

"Wendy." A tired, yet commanding voice broadcasted into the library. "Can you help me treat the wounded? Mira, can you help also?"

"Erza," Mirajane got up from her seat to dust off Erza's hair, "what happened?"

"They're getting stronger." Erza smiled dryly. "If only they know what that means. Mira, can you train with me?"

"Sure, I need to brush up as well. Lisanna, I'm sorry but, you'll have to do more work for a while."

"Don't worry about it! I've been skipping out on work lately, just leave it to me!"

"Then it's settled, let's see the damage, hopefully we won't have to repaired too much."

"Sadly, we increased Master's stress, Natsu and the others doesn't know restraint. And by extension; I can't either. Sorry Wendy, you have more patients this time."

"Please don't worry about it, I treat it as practise." Once the three left, Levy finished her snacks and rose.

"Should we help as well?"

"Too many people can become a hindrance." Laki replied.

"That's true." Levy sat back down. "Want to play something?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Nothing much, it's very simple." Levy said with a smile. "Truth or Dare?"

Leaving the guild with a full stomach, Hisui kicked dust while she recalled the things she learned from her friends and the habits she exposed. She thought of the fun she had during her stay from the moment she entered to the moment she left—looking more fondly at the former than the latter as Hisui looked into Natsu's eyes before the doors severed the brief contact they had. He held understanding, adding the kindness of his smile, Hisui could only smile in return. She didn't miss the hint of hope and demand from those seemingly endless eyes that stood out better than an onyx in a pile of diamonds. Guilt ran across her knowing that her internal struggle was filled with hesitation.

Seeing her building drove away the conflicting feelings, reminding her of her friend's hopes. She pushed opened the door and waved to her staff. "Everyone, I have another selfish request I want to make." The workers stopped and looked at their leader. "I'm planning on taking a small break, do you think that you can handle the future work until I come back? I know that it's unfair that I get to have a small vacation while everyone here has to continue working. And if it possible, I would issue holidays more often for everyone. I do have plans for making that a reality. However, please wait until I have everything sorted out—"

"We were waiting for those words Princess." A man wearing glasses smiled. "We've been hoping that you would go rest. I mean, you talk about unfair but, in reality, we're unfair to you. Everyone here has relative easy-going jobs; your hard work was behind it all. That's why everyone is supportive of you going out to have some fun. Besides, it gives us an opportunity to show you that we're more than capable in completing your share of the work. So, rest easy, we got this."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course." The unified faces on each of Hisui's worker gave her no room for argument, only a smile in return.

"Then, let's do our best until I go on my trip! We have little time left."

"Yeah!" An explosion of fervour followed by a scrambling of people. Hisui found her work pace again, having made the choice that her matters in love can take a back-seat, as her friends wanting to relax together took priority.

Hisui threw a sympathetic look at the dragon slayers as the train rocking coaxed more stomach matter to fly out their mouths. The brilliant sun gave Hisui more than enough light to read about the resort they were going to. With Karie at her side in a coat and a pair of jeans, Hisui rested her head on Karie's shoulder.

"Wouldn't you say that it's strange that we're going to the beach nearing winter?" Hisui looked at Levy that was reading the same brochure.

"The day is warm enough for us to swim so, why worry about it?" Levy sheepishly said. "Maybe we'll have less waiting time."

"Besides," Lucy said, a humorous smile on her lips, "have you been to a resort?"

"Not…really."

"Yes, you have!" A childish, sing-song voice rang from Hisui's hair. "Carol took you there once when you were small." A tiny head sprouted from Hisui's hair.

"Fi! I didn't summon you yet!"

"But I want to have fun as well!"

"Umm…who is this?" Lucy looked curiously at the spirit that was pulling lightly at Hisui's roots.

"Oww! I was planning to call you once we were there."

"Now you're ignoring your friend, Carol didn't raise you like this."

"Whose fault do you think that is?"

"Then I'll do it for you."

"Hypocrite…" Fiore stepped out of her shroud, ignoring Hisui's comment and performed an elegant curtsy. "Hello, I'm Fiore, the Kingdom Spirit of this country, thank you for taking care of Hisui while Karie is busy, I know that she may be a handful but, please continue to be her friend and support her whenever you can."

"Excuse me?" Lucy dumbly answered.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I need to be more consistent with these updates. But fear not! Assuming that I don't lose my mind, once Christmas break rolls around, I should be able to write more often, just don't expect too much, Hong Kong's Christmas breaks aren't too long because we don't really have a winter holiday.**

 **Anyway, I was reading my last story because I have a hard time believing that my work is as good as people say they are, accuse me of having high standards, I don't care, it's the truth. I saw so many spelling and grammar mistakes that I didn't see in my proofreading. So, hopefully, this story won't have the same problem—I bet it already has. Reading it also told me that I'm pretty decent as the fluff and not much in the other departments, maybe that's why I think this story kind of blows. But darn it, I'll improve, hopefully sometime soon.**

 **So, if you read what I said last time, I'm struggling with ideas in bonding Hisui and Natsu, you guys got any one-shot ideas I can use or take inspiration from? I would really appreciate it, thanks in advance!**

 **Until then, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, have a great day!**


	21. Chapter 21: Under The Sun

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

"So that's your spirit," Lucy said, eyes examining the plant spirit that was making different poses that ranges from cute to elegant, "now I know what you mean by you saying that she's tricky to summon, it's because she's busy all the time right?"

"No, that's not it," Hisui replied wryly, placing her spirit on her lap, "you give Fi too much credit, looking after a kingdom is not her specialty."

"Hey, don't ruin my first impression like that!" Fiore exclaimed.

"Then, what's the real reason behind it?"

"Fi said to not summon her until I become a worthy leader. Though looking back, I think that was her attempt at being cool. Because later on, she started saying that she was bored."

"She's quite the character huh?"

"She might be quite a hassle at times. But, Fi is a joy to be around."

"Saying that won't make me forgive you for ruining my image." Fiore pouted.

"You'll ruin that graceful image on your own before long."

"What power does she have?" Levy asked.

"I can do just about anything! Let me show—"

"She controls all plants."

"Hisui! That's my moment!"

"Then you'll end up over-exaggerating your ability, don't worry, I haven't taken away all the surprises."

"Meanie…" Fiore's bright green hair browned slightly, and her white summer dress started to rot.

"Come on Fi," Hisui presented a piece of candy that Karie provided to Fiore, "you came here to have fun, not sulk around."

"I'm not going to be tempted like this."

"Then I assume you're going back?"

"Well…"

"I'm sorry for being so harsh, come on, stop acting like a child, you're easily older than all of us."

"Fine, but, promise me you would summon me more often."

"Sure, I was planning to."

"Then why are we moping around for!?" Fiore's hair and dress got back the original lustre. Her bounce back shocked everyone but Karie and Hisui who looked at the spirit with a knowing smile.

"She really is a unique one." Levy leaned forward to look into Fiore's earthy eyes. "Hey, what's that smell? It smells real good."

"That's my nectar!" Fiore puffed out her chest. "it's not quite ready but, I can change that. Can we get some hot drinks?" After a train stewardess delivered a tray of tea and coffee, Fiore jumped from Hisui's lap and wrapped herself in a warm light. The smell of flowers blooming scattered that lingered even when the light died down. Now in her actual form, Fiore sat down crossed-legged with a confident smile that held a hint of seduction. "Ta-da! This is my real form! Isn't it neat?" Breaking her mature visage using a childish attitude, Fiore shocked the surrounding people even more.

"Another one…" Levy solemnly said while keeping her eyes on Fiore's chest.

"A—anyway," Hisui said, "you should try adding some of Fi's plant nectar in your drinks, I'm sure you'll enjoy it." Fiore formed a drop of golden syrup on her index finger.

"I guess." Levy stirred her tea with the nectar added, taking a cautious sip. "This really is great!"

"Of course! This stuff isn't just something you can buy at the market you know." Fiore boasted.

"Look at that!" Lucy pointed out the window. "I think that's the resort!" Everyone in the train compartment looked beyond Lucy's finger. Two large buildings connected by an arch. Even in the distance, they could clearly see blue strips on the white building with no corners. Specs of light floated around the buildings, bobbing up and down with some rhythm. Just next to the resort, a wide, crescent beach baking under the rich sun contrasting with the blue siren that allures people to go swim.

Nearby, was a lively town with ships docking and departing. It was smaller than Magnolia. But, seeing a town that Hisui has never seen before evoked the sense of exploration that plagued her as a child, and what she read about the town wasn't helping with her urge.

"That's it." Levy said, taking another sip of her drink. Hisui turned to the other compartments to find the same excited stares at the resort. All except the compartments that Natsu and Gajeel were in.

"I need to do something," Hisui announced, "I'll be back soon."

"Take your time." Hisui gently closed the door as she left the compartment. Taking a few steps, Hisui opened another door and found Happy comforting Natsu that was leaning out the window. "You're going to hurt yourself if you keep doing that."

"Hey Hisui…what's up?"

"We're almost there, have you seen the resort?"

"I…urgg…can't." Hisui sat down next to him.

"Is it really that bad?"

"I want to dieee…"

"But I haven't given you my answer yet?"

"Shut…up"

"Hey Natsu," Happy tapped Natsu's shoulders, "what does she mean?"

"None of your…business."

"While crude, he is right. This is something that, at the moment, only concerns Natsu and me."

"Will you tell me later?"

"Perhaps…but I think that we need to work on his motion sickness." Hisui reached for Natsu's shoulders and pulled him back in the compartment. "At least lie down."

"That doesn't work Hisui." Happy said. "Natsu has to be knocked out or he can't sleep."

"I can't do that! Besides, we're almost there."

"Then what are you doing?" Hisui laid Natsu's head on her lap and rubbed circles on his temples.

"Trying to relieve some of his pain."

* * *

"We're free!" Two figures jumped out the window and Hisui saw that the spiky pink hair on her lap disappeared and only reappeared once she looked out the window. Natsu was hugging a rock while making a vow to not ride vehicles. Gajeel heaving, making a similar promise.

"This place isn't as crowded as I thought it would be." Erza commented, scanning around. Hisui did the same once she found Natsu's location. What caught Hisui's eye wasn't the lines of people at the food stalls or at the water park gate, it wasn't the puddle of people by the pool, it was the attractions peeking out from the water park that was hidden behind a tall building spiralling upwards. They tugged at Hisui's curiosity and thrill-seeking side. She turned to the buildings that gave the resort its name. Two fountains connected by an archway stood on Hisui's either side. Both having water cascading down from each level of the building—which Hisui counted fifteen—they went through twists, disappeared behind a room only to reappear after freeing itself from gravity. Hisui followed the river in the sky to loop, watched it collide with another river from the other building before trickling down to the ground in a wall of water.

Besides the two towers, Hisui noticed to shining light she saw back in the train, it was massive ball of water dancing in the air—big enough to hold ten people easily. Some held people, others were in colours of the rainbow.

"Me and Master will go get our keys," Mirajane announced, "be sure to put your bags in your rooms after we check in okay?"

"I'll come with you!" Lisanna said, running after her sister.

* * *

"Alright you brats!" Makarov shouted, hands holding a bundle of keys, "before I hand you your keys, I'm sure you made your roommates, choose a representative to get these." After giving away all the keys but one. "Remember, we're here to relax, I don't want any bills sent to me or, you'll have to face my punishment!" Many members shuddered while Hisui looked around in confusion as she still has no idea what the punishment is supposed to entail. She tried asking before, the paling face discouraged her from further attempts. "But! First and foremost, remember that living life to the fullest is what Fairy Tail is about!"

"Come Hisui!" Lucy dragged Hisui's hand, running to catch up with her friends. "Let's check out or room."

"I can walk by myself." They slowed down, and Lucy released the hand she was grabbing onto.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Karie, have you seen Fi? I can't seem to find her." Hisui asked as they entered the lobby. She looked at the well-maintained reception, then glanced at the mosaic depiction of a whale jumping out from the water for her friend. The pillars yielded nothing but admiration to animal etching on them.

"She's in your hair, I believe she was taking a nap." Karie pointed to a white flower nested in Hisui's hair.

"You mean this? When did she?" Hisui poked the petals as they got in an elevator. "Which floor is it?"

"Fifth, I think everyone is waiting for us." Lucy replied. "She really is unique huh?" She remarked seeing the petals curl slightly to Hisui's touch.

"That the same thing to your spirits, each one of them are so full of quirks and personality."

"I guess that's true." A chime followed by the door opening revealed a dark blue carpet in a corridor that was lit with warm, orange light. "This looks pretty nice, what do you think? I'm sure it isn't as nice as places you've seen right?"

"I don't think that you should use me as a reference point, or Karie for that matter."

"Don't be like that, I'm just curious about your thoughts." Lucy knocked a door labelled '05' "Mira? It's me." The door was opened faster than Lucy expected. "You sure look prepared." Lucy smiled at Mirajane's clothes. She was wearing a black jacket with a pink veil that stuck out from the hem. Hisui tried to guess MIrajane's swimsuit design with the small amount of fabric that was revealed.

"It's not just me you know," Mirajane returned the smile, tying her hair in a pony tail, "come on in, some of us is still changing."

"Thanks for taking our luggage with you." Lucy said, digging for her swimsuit.

"Don't mention it, it wasn't much. That's what you're going for?" Mirajane pointed to a blue bikini with white polka dots.

"Is it weird?" Lucy held the bikini in front of her.

"You look fine." Levy said, snatching the swimsuit from behind, inspecting them with scrutiny. "Did your…size get bigger?" Levy finished with a hint of jealously.

"No they didn't! And besides, is that it?"

"No," Levy pulled her hoodie to show her light blue one-piece. "what do you think?"

"Really cute! By the way, Hisui, what are planning to wear?"

"Nothing that special," Hisui held up a white bikini, "I didn't really have much time to pick a better one out."

"Come on, if we're here to discuss out swimsuits, we'll be here all day!" Lisanna exclaimed. "Me and Erza are ready!" Erza was in her usual armour while Lisanna was wearing a black bikini. "Let's go, everyone else should be there already."

* * *

Arriving at the water park, Hisui found herself staring at everything with wonder, while it's not the first time that she's seen the engineering marvel pointing to the sky—ones that would loop, would spray water around with every turn—it was the first time that Hisui has seen them up-close. People wandered around the water park, enjoying the rides, screams of joy and excitement filled the air. They queued up for food with groans under a bright sun and having a sense of want for the people ahead of the line.

"Sorry for being late!" Lisanna said to a group of awaiting Fairy Tail members.

"Don't worry about it!" Natsu grinned.

"Remember," Makarov boomed, "I want everyone to gather at the dining hall by lunch, I hear that they're throwing in some extra service. Now, it's time to have fun!" People scattered like sand in the wind, forming groups to conquer the water park.

"Wake up Fi," Hisui poked the white petals in her hair. "it's time to play." Hearing a yawn, Hisui took the flower and placed it on her hand, watching it turn to a form Hisui was familiar with. "I swear, you're the younger one."

"It's…something…that makes me appealing." Fiore said, rubbing her earthy eyes.

"You're plenty cute already, come on, where you want to go first?"

"I want something to drink."

"Will water be fine?"

"Can I have juice?"

"But you're a plant?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Sure, let's go." Hisui started her walk towards a bar.

"Make it pineapple."

"Anything else?"

"Nope!"

"Everyone, go on without me, I'll catch up soon."

"Sure, we're planning to go up there." Lisanna pointed up at the massive floating water orbs. "We'll see you soon."

"See you." Hisui waited in a line while waiting for Fiore to become more alert. "What happened to you?"

"Not getting enough sunlight." Fiore yawned again. "And I need something to drink."

"But it's pretty bright out."

"I was hiding in your hair."

"One pineapple juice please." Hisui exchange money for a cup of cold juice. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Fiore hopped in the cup, letting out a sigh in content. Hisui watched the fruit juice drain at Fiore's legs, forming a whirlpool, leaving no residue as the level lowered. "Much better." Fiore stretched and climbed out the cup. "Now let's have some fun!"

" _Can_ you swim?" Hisui tossed the empty cup in a bin as she made her way to a huge sign that advertised swimming in a floating ball of water.

"Of course not! You think plants learn how to swim? We just soak up water and enjoy it."

"Then how are you going to have fun?"

"I'm going to sunbath of course!" Much like when Erza is changing armour, Fiore was wrapped in a bright light, making Hisui's hand light-up like a torch. "Ta-da!" Fiore's white dress now extended as it changed green seamlessly. Where her feet should be, a lily pad rested on Hisui's palm. Hiding Fiore's eyes, was a pair of over-sized sunglasses that slipped from her nose at every bounce from Hisui's walk to meet her friends. "Now I'm ready!"

"Hisui! Up here!" Lisanna's voice called out. Hisui looked up to see a mop of white hair and a girl swimming upside-down. "Grab on!" An ice ladder grew from the water Lisanna was swimming in, stopping within Hisui's arm-length. Extremely wary of the stares around her, Hisui timidly climbed up the ladder, each step making her face hotter despite the ice numbing her toes and palms.

Reaching the water, Hisui felt it pull her in. She let go of her spirit, letting Fiore float to the surface. Feeling herself escape from the clutches of gravity, Hisui took a few experimental strokes. She took a deep breath before diving in. Smile greeted back Hisui's surprised expression; everyone was having their own fun in the water. Juvia was chasing after Gray with the latter trying escape from the impossible; Natsu and Elfman was racing around the sphere; Mirajane and Wendy were jumping from sphere to sphere. Hisui feel like she was seeing a theatrical performance but with every actor being a star—she didn't know where to look at. However, wherever her eyes did point at showed bliss. When Hisui came up for air, there was no difference save that the activities changed; from swimming to floating.

"What do you think?" Lisanna swam up to Hisui, grinning.

"Swimming is a bit strange, I don't need to keep moving, I feel like something is constantly supporting me, like everyone here." Hisui looked at the figures wading through traffic below, smiling at the view.

"I know what you mean, it's kind of fun." Lisanna splashed some water, enjoying the droplets of water leave the huge mass, twirl in mid-air for a few seconds then join back together. "The water is just the right temperature too, I feel like I could sleep here." She floated on her back. Hisui copied her friend, smiling at the sloshing water against her body. "Hey Hisui?"

"What is it?"

"When are you planning to answer Natsu?" Hisui panicked, flailing her limbs as she tried to right herself to face her friend. "Don't give me that look, I wasn't eavesdropping on you two, I was the one that suggested he should confess to you." Met with nothing, Lisanna continued. "Being his friend for such a long time, even though I was gone for two years—nine years for most. I can read him pretty well, not that he's hard for anyone to read to begin with. The fact that he hasn't really changed for all these years helped as well. I saw him the way he was looking at you. It started with curiosity, then it turned to a childish crush, now it's full-blown affection. It was clear to me that, he had no idea what to do with his emotions, so I gave him a hand."

"I still don't know…Natsu is honestly great, he's cute at times, loyal to a fault…if, I wasn't a Princess, I would have fallen for him many times over. Because I am, I can't just pick a partner recklessly. I want to love him, I just can't bring myself to get rid of the final barrier."

"Is it something political?"

"Marrying someone that doesn't carry noble blood is the least of my worries, sure it makes my future rein more unstable, but, if you look back in history, Princes and Princesses marrying a normal person has happened—many times, and they all turned around their people's distaste with ability. I'm sure with Natsu, we can do the same."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Even I don't know, he brings me laughter, he takes away my boredom, he can't provide me safety—not security, I mean that I feel like my affection for him can be changed, it's not a guarantee."

"If that's the case, take as long as you need, Natsu will wait for you."

When their swimming session timed-out, everyone went their separate ways, even Karie took Fiore and left with Mirajane to try some of the local food, leaving Hisui to stare at the biggest attraction in the park: a water slide. Perched on a small mountain, it was intimidating to Hisui. The starting waterfall was a steep slide into a tunnel that twists and turns at shocking frequency, followed by a spiralling descend underground, shooting out to an island in the sky before finally plummeting to a pool of water.

The further longer that Hisui stared at it, she felt the taunting glare from the water get stronger. She considered walking away and never look at the monstrosity again. Yet, the slide was like hot food on a cold day, tugging at Hisui. Seeing the people on the ride, she took a step towards the line to the slide. Hisui suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, she shrieked, whipped her head around and saw Natsu recoiling while holding his nose.

"Careful with that hair…" He grumbled.

"Sorry but, it was your fault for grabbing me without calling my name." Hisui huffed, her hands moved to her hips.

"How was I supposed to know that you would whip me?"

"So? What happened?"

"Nothing really, I just found you staring at the slide."

"What about it?"

"Want to go together?"

"I'm not sure about that, I mean, I am interested in it but, I don't think that I can handle it."

"Isn't that why I'm here? Come on!" Natsu seized Hisui's hand with a force that confused her, it was strong enough to not let her escape but gentle at the same time. "It'll be fine!" Natsu reassured once they reached the line.

"I'm not too sure about this…"

"But you're interested right?"

"I'm interested in many things Natsu, that doesn't mean that I have to experience all of them."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Not everything is fun and games Natsu."

"I know that, I'm just trying to keep your mind off things."

"From what?"

"From what happened at the festival." They shuffled along a couple of paces, letting them a big blue and white sign that read: The Big Splash. "I know that you've been distracted because of what happened that night. I heard that your work flow slowed down too."

"And you're trying to remedy that by having me hang out with the person that's causing all this?"

"Yup!"

"You're unbelievable."

"If you hate it, you can go right now." Natsu pulled his hand away.

"Now you're being mean…" Hisui took Natsu's hand, drawing a grin from the man.

"I knew that you would see my way."

"Don't get used to it."

Finally facing the slide, Hisui was starting to have second thoughts because of two reasons; the drop was bigger than she thought; she was sitting between Natsu's legs with his arms wrapped around her waist. The former pulled primal fear to the surface, the rushing water, convoluted track that they'll follow—all added to a shaky Princess, even that was denied by the person behind her. Natsu's arm pulled Hisui close, her back flush to Natsu's chest. Most importantly was the light feeling in her head and the smell of wood burning in Hisui's nose, overpowering the distinct smell of pool water.

"I'm starting to have second thoughts Natsu…how about you go by yourself?"

"You waited all this time and you're just going to leave?"

"You make a good point but…I can't…if anything happens can I count on you?"

"When can't you do that?" Natsu grinned.

"I sup—ahhhh!" The employee pushed Natsu and Hisui felt an unbelievable amount of acceleration as she gripped onto Natsu's arms, pulling herself snug to Natsu. Natsu's scream of joy got past the wailing winds and Hisui's screams. By the time they reached the tunnel, Hisui barely registered the trees and building that flew by before her eyes were assaulted by hypnotic lights. With each turn Hisui felt, she found herself clinging to the only pillar of safety that she could find. At one point during the journey, Hisui had closed her eyes at the extreme speed. They shot to the air, once again free from gravity.

"Open your eyes." Natsu's voice was gentle, coaxing Hisui to comply to the order. A gasp.

They saw everything, from the nearby ocean to the clouds, mountains to buildings, even the free bird didn't escape from their sight. Success rang in Hisui's chest and her anxiousness died at the brightly-lit park. It was a flash in the dark. They landed on an island after a tropical one, sand dominated the scene as they kept sliding down the water pathway. That proved to be short-lived too when they found themselves diving to a pool.

"That was fun!" Natsu grinned at Hisui who was gasping for air. "Want to do that again?"

"I'm not…waiting all that time just for me to experience that again."

"But it seemed like you had fun."

"I did, it was thrilling but, it's something that I shouldn't experience all the time."

"At least I did want I was planning to do."

"And I thank you for that." Hisui swam out the pool. "Can you dry us off?"

"Sure."

"Thanks." Hisui stretched. "I think it's almost time for lunch, I assume you're hungry?"

"You bet."

"Natsu, thank you, really. I feel much better now."

Hisui was in heaven, the combination of a full stomach and having a massage really shuts down her overwise, active body. Incense burned in the background, a type of flower, but Hisui couldn't really tell what it really was. Even further in the shadows but not losing any of its relaxing properties was the feather soft music, each note was stroking Hisui head. She noticed that Karie was having the same experience; eyes closed, arms resting on a warm towel with her head on her hands.

Under this environment, Hisui got lost in her own thoughts. She started with how each press on her back sent her on a trip underwater—still, cool water. When they moved to her shoulders however, it was a completely opposite experience. Her shoulders burned with soreness that quickly elicited a hum from Hisui. The burning came in waves that smothered to pleasant rubbing.

"Sounds like you really needed this." Karie said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"I really didn't think that it would be this bad."

"Things like this build up over time, it's insidious stuff."

"Is that what happened with your callouses?"

"You could say that."

"I feel bad for every maid at the palace now."

"Don't be, for me," Karie studied her lumps on her palm, "these are my pride, you shouldn't be turned away by these, it showed diligence to an extent."

"Don't you think that they umm…"

"Turn-off suitors? If they did look at them with contempt, I have no business loving that person in the first place. You just need to keep in mind that callouses have two kinds. But that's enough about me," she folded back her arms, "what are your plans?"

"For?"

"Finding the villain of the festival." Hisui shifted her weight slightly.

"This isn't the best place to talk about this."

"I suppose not." Karie mused. "Sorry, bringing up a heavy subject like that."

"I don't mind it, it grounded me to reality, I can't rest like this forever, after these three days, I need to get back in the saddle. I should be apologising, making you follow through with me."

"I'll follow you anywhere,"

"Is that because of your promise to my parents?"

"That doesn't matter anymore, I've been doing this out of my own volition for a while now."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! This should last one more chapter before I get back into the more serious part of the story, not as focused like in the first half of the story, most likely, after that arc, I should be able to finally move on to the nice fluffy part of the deal. I want to try a little bit of intrigue.**

 **I'm well aware that this story doesn't have a universal theme like my previous story and at times, I feel like I'm writing a different story all together and that's not adding my creative stagnation what I mean is my descriptive style. So when I was before I wrote Third Time's a Charm, I was writing stuff that had fancy descriptions, and moving to Third Time's a Charm, I had to change the way I write, making Juvia document her days poetically would just seem off otherwise. Now, I'm writing a story that allows me to do the stuff I've been doing again, and it shows that I'm bad at it. I found lots of vocabulary being re-used that shouldn't have been, descriptive sentences becoming the same, I feel like that my writing is very samey, trying to break out of that is so hard.**

 **If there is ever a story I'm going to re-write when I get better, it's this one, as it stands, I don't have the skills to do this idea justice. You could say that it's my fault for trying to have my cake eat and eat it too, and yeah, it's a huge topic that I'm trying to tackle, i'm suffering because of it, but damn it I want to learn, so please bear with me for a little while.**

* * *

 **Now that I drove away the people that reads these comments with my whining, it seems like a good idea to ask you guys something:**

 **Would you like to see me write Third Time's a Charm but from Natsu's side of things?**

* * *

 **A few caveats: Since I write here to have fun and learn, I'm hoping to learn how to write a killer fight scene, and writing Natsu's side of the story will give me great chance to do that. Downside is, I'm terrible at fight scenes. So, that might lower the quality of the story.**

 **Secondly, I'm not sure if I've said this before but, I rather not include the Japanese specific honorifics, I did it early on this story and the last one was a peer pressure thing. However, I will keep them in this one, so, for the people that told me that they're in the same boat as me, for the sake of consistency, I'm keeping the honorifics. Just to make sure that no one accuses me of hating Japanese people despite writing a fanfiction based on an anime, as someone has pointed out to me, the Fairy Tail universe is not in Japan, so there is no need for keeping the honorifics.**

 **And that's it! I'm done rambling for today, all that's left is: I hope you enjoyed reading the chapter, have a great day!**


	22. Chapter 22: Above The Clouds

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Seeing how Hisui her friends were in the rowdiest guild in her lands, she most certainly didn't expect to find that it was palm fronds rapping against the window that woke her up. She sat up to find the rest of her friends remained unfazed by the whipping and scrapping. The lack of light told her that the sun is far from rising. She flopped back down her bed. Tossing and turning on her bed did nothing but irritate herself at her activeness. She tried staring at the ceiling in hopes that her eyes get tired—they never did. Hisui threw her arms up in surrender, getting out the bed for a walk in the dead of the night.

Careful not to kick whisky bottles that were lying around, Hisui slipped on a coat, left a note by Karie's pillow and softly close the door as she met the chilly night. To Hisui's surprise, the resort held a different vibe from the day—it made her skin crawl. With nothing but street lights as her guide, shadows from the people that she saw were drawn out to long, creepy puppets. Everyone wore coats or jacket—not that Hisui blamed them, but they gave people a scene of mystery that put her on edge. The bushes rustled either from wind or animals—Hisui couldn't tell, but startled her nonetheless. She left the closeness of her friends and the building they were sleeping in and followed the sign that told her of the garden's location.

In the vast number of flowers arranged in shapes of sea creatures, dolphins, fish even sharks, Hisui spent the same amount of time admiring the gardener's work. Bushes trimmed to simple shapes like spheres, to a whole castle. Walking further in the garden, Hisui found a fountain with benches facing it. Couples snuggled together in a display of warmth that made Hisui look away and kept walking.

Then, Hisui came across a bed of flower that made her stop entirely. No way would she forget these flowers. Five, pink petals. Each pink star tugged at Hisui's heart, their smell rooted her closer to the ground, caressing each petal of the flower with a sense of longing. "Mother…" Hisui got lost in her own world, replaying the time when her mother was alive, moving on to forging the potential time she could have spent.

When Hisui could see a golden outline on the flowers, she felt a hand on her shoulders, realising that the smell of azaleas was over powered by a sweet, comforting scent, Hisui relaxed. "Come on, like you said, you're here to have fun, not get sad about what happened to Carol." The voice of deeper the child she was dealing with yesterday, mixed in with worry.

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping? I thought plants prefer the sunlight."

"You know, some plants bloom in the night."

"And you happen to be one of them?"

"Why are you turning me away?"

"I'm not—"

"I wish that you won't lie to yourself, the old stickler already warned you about that didn't he?" Fiore crouched to meet Hisui's dried eyes. A small vine sprouted from her fingertips to brush away the tear residue. "Now who's the child now?"

"Can you…tell me what her final words were?"

"How would you know that I'm speaking the truth? You're so shaken right now, I'm sure I can get away with a lie to make you feel better."

"Are you planning to twist my mother's words just for that!?"

"I know your mother far better than you ever will." Fiore calmly replied. "She wouldn't mind."

"At least tell me, why didn't me talk to me one last time before she went away? I'm lost without her, father never helps me. At least…not in the way that I want him to…I just…I just wanted to talk to her one last time…"

"That's something that I can't tell you, I have to honour my promise with Caroline." Fiore pulled Hisui to her shoulders. "But that's enough of that," the voice Fiore used was much softer, "do you want me to tell you why Azaleas are Carol's favourite?" Hisui pressed deeper in Fiore's shoulder.

"Isn't it because father proposed to her with them?"

"No," Fiore giggled, "that was much later." Fiore flicked her wrist; the flower bed grew larger and twisted itself to a shape of a bench. They sat down with Hisui stroking the petals mindlessly while waiting for Fiore's story. "Looking back, it was a silly thing. It was back when Carol was still unwed, her beauty attracted far too many admirers for her liking. One day, a man went to Carol's front door and left a flower for her every day, a note accompanied it without fail. I read every single of them, each of them always made me laugh.

"They were romantic compositions, it was strange honestly, the style of each note was different, Carol figured it was a different poet and the man just hired another one when she didn't replied to any of the notes."

"That sounds familiar…" Hisui's smile drew Fiore to do the same, knowing that she managed to divert Hisui's attention.

"Afterwards, Carol let the flowers pile up on the doorstep, hoping that the sender will get the message. Somehow," Fiore giggled, "the man took it as Carol wanting bouquets instead of single flowers. So, from that day onwards, a bouquet appeared at the doorsteps. Soon Carol got sick of it, she asked Racheal to find out who was sending her flowers."

"Karie's mother!?"

"Of course, the Forrest family has been serving your mother's family for ages you know."

"I know that! I just didn't expect that mother would ask her, she rarely asks her maid for things like this."

"That just shows how annoyed she was. Anyway, with my help, we were able to follow a pollen trail to the shop the man buys the flowers from. So Racheal watched the shop to see if anyone suspicious was heading to Carol's mansion. It was Luther." Fiore snickered.

"So that's how they met, Karie would never tell me."

"You wouldn't either, if your father was once stalking a major noble of the kingdom."

"I suppose."

"Anyway, Racheal apprehended Luther when he was on his way to Carol's house. He apologised afterwards of course. After that, Luther tried his best to make it up to Carol for being such a creep, but he didn't know how to, so he asked Racheal to help him. They started out normally, Racheal finding Luther pathetic at his insecurity. Soon, she found out how gentle and kind Luther was, it wasn't long until they fell in love, a few years later, they got married and had Karie not long after.

"Though it wasn't how Carol expected the letters to end, but it was so amusing to her, at the time, she was going through some stress from her family. That incident taught Carol to look for things to cheer herself up in dark times. And that's how Azaleas became Carol's favourite flower."

"You're right, that was silly."

"You know, the lesson the flower taught Carol changed her a lot. And let me tell you this, you are the best Azalea to her. And just like most people, she doesn't like to see flowers wilt, keep that in mind. It might not be flowers but, find something to remind you; to find things to cheer yourself up."

"Thanks." Just then, Fiore felt her skin crawl, she turned around, a pair of daggers faced her. Standing in front of the rising sun, was Karie, leaking magic and struggling to maintain her composure. She casted a long, horrifying shadow, the tips of the daggers formed horns. While Fiore couldn't see Karie's features, the murderous eyes, creased eyebrows and scowl, she could see Karie's hands tighten around the knives, like fingers around a neck.

"While I appreciate you cheering Hisui up," Karie flashed a knife pass Fiore's ear, burying it deep in the ground, leaving only the end cap of the knife sticking out, "I'd rather you didn't tell her about mother and father meeting."

"H—hey! That's not fair! Can't you forgive me this one time?"

"Y—yeah Karie, please let Fi go, or at least don't hurt her too much, she needs to experience the resort more, if you send her back, she can't do that."

"Fine…I'll let this slide, just don't share anymore embarrassing stories of my parents." Karie's weapons vanished, leaving behind the hole in the dirt as the only evidence. "Breakfast is almost ready, it's about time we head back. I hear we're going to experience their outside dining they're so proud of."

"What time is it anyway?"

"Roughly seven."

"I've been out here for quite some time then. Fi, remember to change the flowers back."

"I got it, it's not my first day doing this you know."

"I'm just reminding you, who knows what will happen if I don't tell you."

* * *

When Hisui arrived at the courtyard, she found that most of her friends were always seated. That wasn't the first thing she noticed, it was the saucers flying back and forth delivering drinks. To Hisui, it was a dance colourful that held no flaws, never once did Hisui see a drop spill out from the glass vessels while presenting itself perfectly at the middle in front of the people sitting by the tables.

"Hisui! Over here!" Erza called out. Sitting by the same table were Erza's teammates along with the Strauss sisters. The three vacant chairs pull themselves out when Hisui, Fiore and Karie got close.

"So, this is what's special about it?" Hisui sat down, running a finger through the clean, white sheet. "I can't say I've seen something like this before."

"Me neither." Lisanna said. "I think it looks great."

A plate of spaghetti was delivered to every table. It was a nice consistent red, orange colour, with a crown of mint. A stimulating smell wafted in Hisui's nose, and from looking at Natsu, she could tell that it was much more stimulating for him than for her.

"Can we eat yet?"

"We can't," Erza chided, "we have to wait until everyone gets here."

"Can't I eat a little? No one would know."

"Natsu," Hisui interjected, "it's only good manners."

"Fine…" Natsu pouted.

"Flame Brain actually listens, so he does have a brain!" Gray hollered.

"What does you mean by that you bastard?"

"You're stupid, want me to beat that in your head?" Gray formed a massive hammer above Natsu's head.

"Gray!" Erza warned, voice cutting Gray's nerves. "Remember what Master said?"

"T—to not cause damage?"

"And what are you doing?"

"Err…"

"Serves you right Stripper!"

"That doesn't mean that _you_ can cause trouble!" Erza slammed her fist at the bickering people.

"I think that everyone is here," Lucy said, looking around, "why not we give it a rest?"

"Alright!" Makarov bellowed. "Today we don't really have anything in planned. After this, you're free to explore the town or continue to enjoy the resort. For now, cheers!" The area they were eating in erupted in an outburst of cries, followed by the clinking of glasses.

"Firually!" Natsu said in relief, fork holding on a huge portion of the spaghetti

"Don't speak with your mouth open." Hisui said, the slight glint of distaste in Hisui's eyes were showing, making Natsu chew and swallow his food before doing anything else.

"Sorry…"

"Where do you want to go after this?" Mirajane asked, taking a sip of her glass of water. "If you don't have anywhere to go, why don't we check out the town?"

"Agreed!" Lisanna shouted.

"It seems fun, Fi said earlier that she wants to see how much this place has changed."

"You've been here before?"

"Of course!" Fiore puffed out her chest. "There isn't a place in Fiore that I haven't been! This is my kingdom after all."

"Technically, it's my father's"

"Shut up! Without me, Fiore wouldn't have existed, I deserve to have part of it!"

"You do, it's named after you isn't it?"

"That doesn't count!" A plate of freshly baked bread flew in.

"Well, let's finish breakfast first, we got a long day ahead." Erza suggested.

The town was charming from what the little part that Hisui had seen on her way to the resort, and she was able to confirm the fact now that she's exploring it with her friends. Each house hugged each other in lines that would follow a river, running down to a vast ocean view complete with a clean beach and clear water. Fishing nets hung from the roofs, fish were hooked to them for drying. Other houses had vines clinging to the nets, flowers woven in patterns of a symbol that Hisui can't derive the meaning of; an anchor inside a triangle.

Taking a quick walk across the market place gave Hisui a good impression of the locals, jolly and energetic. If Hisui wasn't used to the loud environment of the Fairy Tail building, it may have come across as overwhelming. However, in the midst of haggling and cries, Hisui felt quite at home.

"Why don't we have a barbeque at the beach for lunch?" Mirajane suggested. "It would be a shame to not use these ingredients," she continued, examining a fruit, "we haven't been to the beach either, I think that it will be great!"

"That's true," Karie said, "and the seafood here is as fresh as it gets."

"It tastes amazing!" Happy shouted, taking in another mouthful soon after.

"You did pay for that I hope?"

"I took money from Natsu's pocket."

"Hey!"

"You would have given me the money anyway."

"That aside," Karie said, "is everyone fine with having a barbeque?" Seeing nods, Karie continued speaking. "Then leave buying ingredients to me and Mira, until it gets close to lunch, why don't we go enjoy the sights?"

"Do you have any place in mind?"

"I was thinking that we split up in groups, we can cover more ground, at lunch, we can talk about the things we've done."

* * *

"How did I end up getting lost with you again?" Hisui groaned, looking at her companion with hate. She no longer found the pink hair of his enjoyable to look at, his cheery smile only made her fold her arms, giving him a stronger glare. Hisui and Natsu was in the middle in the street, watching people walk around with envy at their knowledge over the streets. Just earlier, Natsu bumped into Hisui while she was finding a toilet and now, they found themselves lost in a sea of people.

"I already said sorry, what more do you want me to do?"

"Find the others."

"I can't pick up anyone's scent with all these people around."

"Really?" Hisui exchanged her annoyed look with upturned eyes.

"Don't give me that look, I can't doing anything about it." Natsu pointed down the street. "We might as well make the best out of it, why don't we check out the town together?"

"Why not?" Hisui replied, throwing away her sour mood. "I never really had a dragon as an escort." Hisui hooked a hand around Natsu's arm much like how she had done countless times, only that she enjoyed the firmness of Natsu's muscles and the tingling at her fingertips from Natsu's heat. "What's wrong?" Hisui stared into Natsu's adverting eyes when she noticed that her escort wasn't moving at all. "Ahh," Hisui chuckled, "you haven't done this before."

"Uhh…"

"Don't worry, it's quite simple, just walk and lead me to anywhere you want us to go. I'll be frank, I didn't think that you had no experience in this, seeing how you have so many chance, you know, with so many beautiful girls at the guild."

"Shut up."

"How about this, since I've been these situations so many times, I'll tell you how you compare to the other guys that escorted me, if you are planning to date me, you need to at least learn how to do this."

"Then, where do you want to go?"

"Have some confidence Natsu, you're leading, which place do _you_ think I'll like?"

"You're not even going to give me a hint!?"

"Natsu!" Hisui's sudden harshness made the man flinch. "Did you propose to me without any preparation at all?"

"Of course not!"

"Then you're telling me that you don't even know what I like?" Hisui made Natsu face her—made him look into the piercing eyes that picked at every little detail, honed from the hours of shining light on lies. "Don't make me use my already little time to think of a reply on a question that wasn't even serious in the first place."

"Are you making fun of my feelings?"

"Prove it to me that you're serious, relay to me that you are committed, show to me that you _will_ become king." Seeing that Hisui wasn't receiving a reply, she sighed, she disappointedly loosened her fingers around Natsu's arm, feet turning away. Then a sigh along Natsu's arm tensing stopped Hisui.

"Sheesh, all I need to do is make you happy right?"

"Can you?"

"I'm all fired up!"

"Where are we going first then?" Hisui gripped onto the Natsu's arm again, making sure to press a bit closer than she was before.

"Just wait and see." Natsu delivered with his signature smile.

Natsu walked at a gentle pace that considered the person at his side, making small talk that kept Hisui engaged as they admired the buildings or birds flying by. Natsu's nose twitched every now and then whenever they got near a stall. His eyes lit up and his pace sped up but still manageable. Hisui's looked at the stall Natsu stopped at with curiosity. Behind the stall was a man in his later years, a balding head and kind brown eyes caught Hisui's attention. Her eyes drifted to the wares, they were trinkets, decorations with the same symbol that Hisui had seen previously, shells bracelets and other products from the beach nearby. Hisui stared at the animals on display while Natsu walked up to the older man.

"Pops, what's that symbol mean?" Natsu glanced to see Hisui's lips curling upwards.

"You're a tourist huh? Then let me tell you, that's our town's charm for safety. I'm not sure how true this story is because its been well known in our town for ages but, we had a hero that saved hundreds of people. This place was once cursed you know, we couldn't fish anything no matter how far at sea we sailed, the crops would die mysteriously overnight. The people at the time had the idea of appeasing the sea Gods to stop the nightmare, so they sent a man to set out to sea.

"Before the man went out to sea, his wife gave him a small anchor to hang around his wrist as a safety charm. When the man was out on sea, he was hit with a storm. And just as he was about to get thrown out the ship, the anchor hooked onto a plank. Without the anchor, he would have drowned. Ever since then, we used an anchor to represent safety."

"Can I have that one then?" Natsu pointed at a small sea turtle carrying an anchor on its back.

"A paper weight? Are you sure? You don't seem like the type of person to—ahh… it's for that young lady over there."

"Yup!"

"Natsu, hold on, I never said that I—"

"You were looking at it." Natsu broke into a grin. "What? You didn't expect that I would notice?"

"A bit…" Hisui shifted uncomfortably, hugging closer to Natsu.

"So how much is it?"

"Just a thousand Jewels."

"Here you go."

"Thank you very much." The man gave Natsu a paper bag. "Enjoy the rest of the town you two."

"We will!" Natsu said as they turned away. "What did you think of the story?"

"Interesting, but I didn't expect that you would be keen on learning the culture of a place."

"Like I care about some charm, I don't rely on those things, my friends and family are all I need. I only asked because I know you like learning about the Fiore. It doesn't matter how little it is, as long it's something you didn't know about before, you would smile, it's like what Erza looks like when she's eating her cake, or when gramps sees us grow."

"It appears you're more observant than I thought." Hisui reached for the bag in Natsu's hands which only resulted in a displeasure as Natsu shifted the bag away from her grasp. "I can carry it myself."

"It's fine, it's not that heavy anyway."

"If you insist…where are we going now?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions, kind of reminds me of when I saved you from those guys."

"Yes, I was being dragged around by one of the two brothers you know."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Of course not, they were a vile duo, coming over here has kept my mind off things."

"Then I'm better than them?" Hisui looked up at Natsu with an amused expression.

"That doesn't mean much Natsu, I was incredibly biased at the time, you're quite similar with him in terms of how good of a job you're doing, the only difference is that I enjoy being around you."

"So, I'm making progress?"

"Hardly, there is no progress to make, the only thing that's preventing us from being together is my inner problems."

"And that is?" Natsu turned a corner.

"I'm not telling you, just wait for a while longer."

"That's fair." They walk and found the town square, hawkers sat on rugs at the side, overshadowed by a musician playing mellow music that swayed the ears to stay and enjoy the sounds. The two sat down on a bench with Hisui taking in the atmosphere while Natsu was kicking around a small rock, rolling it. Eventually, Hisui stared at Natsu, feeling his boredom grow in silence.

"Natsu?"

"What's up?"

"I've been meaning to ask for a while now but, you said that your scarf was given by your father correct?"

"Yeah."

"How did he get it?"

"Why do you ask?"

"It looks really comforting."

"You want to feel it?"

"Is that alright?" Hisui's hand already hovering over Natsu's neck.

"Yeah, go for it." Feeling her fingers sink in the scarf with no resistance, Hisui kept stroking the scarf. "What do you think?"

"It's really nice…"

"Then…" Natsu gently pushed Hisui's hand away, drawing shock from the girl. Natsu took off his scarf and looped it around Hisui's neck. "I'll borrow this to you until lunch."

"Thanks…" Hisui rubbed the scarf ends to her cheek.

"We still have time to kill until lunch, want to check out the local grub?"

"I would love to."

* * *

"This looks pretty spicy," Hisui slowly turned around a kebab in her hand, taking in the redness of the meat, recoiling at the stinking in her nose. "are you sure this is fine to eat?" This was the third time Hisui brought the food near she lips but she always pushed it away at the late second.

"Of course!" Natsu took a huge bite out of the snack. "See? I'm fine, come on try it." Seeing Hisui hesitation, Natsu took another bite. "If you're scared of wasting food, I'll eat what you can't eat."

"That's not the problem here!" Hisui faced the blood-red enemy again.

"Just take a small bite, it'll be fine, or are you trying to say that a Princess can't handle a little spice?"

"Natsu, just because you fall for those kinds taunts doesn't mean I will."

"If anything happens, I'll help you, now just take a small bite."

"Really?"

"Yes, don't worry about a thing." Hisui switched her focus from the taunting red to the sincere eyes of Natsu that whispered safety in her eyes.

"Fine…"

"You haven't even taken a bite and you're already tearing up." Hisui answered by pulling a small piece of food in her mouth, ignoring her instincts to stay far away from the devil and believing in Natsu's words. The reaction was instant, Hisui dropped the kebab to fan her mouth, her back trembling, tears started flowing down her cheeks, gathering to her chin. "How…" She stumbled a few steps. "did you take this?" Lava creep down her throat, leaving behind a stinging aftermath.

"It's pretty strong stuff, right? I did my best to hide so you would try it." That was when Hisui noticed Natsu sweating.

"You're…horrible…it's so hot!" Hisui whined between hiccups, having lost all composure and abandoned her authority-filled posture. "I…hate you…" The final three words Hisui said before devolving to tightly clutching the scarf around her neck struck at Natsu in the way that Hisui hoped. Natsu panicked and pulled Hisui to a bench, wiping away the tears as regret drove every gentle movement.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't think that—do you want me to get you a drink?"

"Please do…"

"I'll be right back ju—"

"Hurry! It hurts…" Soon, Natsu came back with a cold milkshake that Hisui looked at with longingness—something not present when she faced Natsu's apologetic face. The scorn held in Hisui's green eyes were an acid burn to Natsu. A thought came across his mind: the drink was keeping him safe.

"Here." The cup left his Natsu's hand. "I'm really sorry." Natsu said, feeling his guilt intensifying at making Hisui suffer but also for enjoying the consequences of his immaturity, seeing Hisui like this roused a never-found allure in Natsu. Hisui's ponytail was undone, some fell behind her shoulders, stray strands clung to her nape while sweat started from her forehead, streaking across her healthy red cheeks.

"I think I can speak again." Hisui hoarsely said. Her stares were mellowed out, they became a fine sheet of glass; dangerous if broken. "It's still lingering." Hisui took another sip, sighing in relief.

"Sorry…can you forgive me?"

"Why did you do that?"

"I just wanted to have some fun."

" _Some_ fun? I thought I going to be sick! Why? Why did you do that!?" Only betrayal was present in Hisui's eyes.

"Do you hate me?"

"Honestly, if a dog chews up an expensive carpet and ruins your day, you still won't fully hate the dog."

"I'm just a dog to you?"

"Of course not, that was just to help me illustrate my point, I won't truly hate you, I have too much fun with you, and I guess that your looks help too. However, just because I forgive you this time doesn't mean that I won't get you back for this."

"Thanks."

"For now, I want you to make it up to me."

"How?"

"Comfort me, I'm still recovering."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Again with the indecisiveness. Natsu, just do what you think is right."

"I'm just trying to be nice."

"Do I really have to say it?" Hisui pulled Natsu to sit with her. "There's a reason why I've been wanting you to make the decisions, it's because I'm embarrassed to say it. Sadly, you're too dense to get it. Well, a part of it is to test your resolve."

"Just spill it."

"Can you…hold me?" Natsu looked at Hisui incredulously.

"That's it? I've been wanting to do that for a while now." Natsu wrapped his arms around Hisui, he enjoyed her scent; she enjoyed his warmth. "Is this good enough?"

"Perfect." Hisui smiled in content. In Natsu's comfort, Hisui looked up at the sky, though, there was still one day left in her vacation, to her, it was more than enough, and the extra day was a bonus. "I just came up with your punishment, look forward to it."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Another long chapter, I need to shorten these things soon because it's a nightmare to proofread.**

 **Anyway, that's it for the resort, the next chapter will finally go back to the normal stuff. It's really strange, when I was writing the previous chapters, I was suffering, and now I want to get back into the more serious side of the story even though I think that I didn't really improve. I guess the break was what I need. However, I expect to be suffering after writing the next chapter, wish me luck!**

 **I'm still finding an opportunity to tie Natsu and Hisui together, I need to up my game in that department, I feel like this story is getting nowhere even though I know what to end this story at, it's really frustrating, I don't want to stretch this story out for too long. On the other note, I find that Hisui forgave Natsu too easily in this chapter, hopefully, I'll correct that in the future.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter, have a great day!**


	23. Chapter 23: A Call For Trouble

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Hisui was finally back in her office, she breathed a sigh of relief, seeing her table being spotless and well-kept made her glad of her staff. It was just the way she left it—for better or for worse. It was organized, but the documents piled on made outsiders think that it was unruly. Hisui sat on her chair, shifting through her files to recollect her work flow from three days ago, thoroughly reading the papers delivered to her in her absence.

"Come in." Hisui answered two sharp knocks on her door. The door gave way, Karie walked in with a letter in her hands.

"Hisui, you have summons to attend a funeral."

"Is it the late Duke Wilford?"

"Yes."

"When is it?"

"In three days."

"Have you made preparations?"

"Already done."

"To think I'm thrown back in just after I arrived." Hisui chuckled. "And I was planning to find out who sent the attack on the city."

"Perhaps you'll find some suspects at the funeral, besides, I think that Bestia will need some comforting, she loved her father."

"You're right, what was I thinking? A good friend of mine is suffering and all I'm focused on is trying to find who attack my city." Hisui continued to shuffle through her reports about the happening for the past three days since she was away. "Am I needed for Bestia's inherence ceremony?"

"No, His Majesty didn't specify."

"Until we leave, I'll have to work harder, I believe I have a meeting with the merchants?"

"The one about being more lenient in wares inspection? That's in an hour."

"And this," Hisui picked out a file from a cabinet behind her, "is why I make sure I finish everything before I leave."

"I don't think you'll manage this time; three days isn't a whole lot."

"I'll just have to prove you wrong." Hisui gave a smile that was flawless to most eyes but strained in Karie's, already, the servant felt that the vacation wasn't enough for her Princess. Soon, office sounds played in the air, drowning Karie's internal sighing. Cutting in the exhaustive noise, was sandals slamming carpet on the corridor outside, subtle wing flapping complimenting the drumming.

"Hisui! I'm here to—whoa!" Natsu's bright voice turned to one that was filled with confusion. "What happened? You just got back and you're already working your butt off?"

"Natsu, I have to leave for the capital in three days, I must finish everything before that, I'm sorry but, can you come around later? How about…eight?" Hisui said, occupied with what's in front of her

"No...I'll just wait until you get back. Let's go Happy!"

"Aye!" The duo rushed out the office, drawing a sigh from Hisui.

* * *

"Are you sure that you don't want me to come with you?" Natsu asked, loading a suitcase on Hisui's train compartment.

"I know you're worried," Hisui said, "but Karie will protect me just fine. Don't worry, Crocus is quite safe you know." Hisui giggled. "But, I'm glad you're worried for me. Don't give me that look, Fi is always besides me you know?"

"I can do a better job."

"Better than a spirit that helped found a kingdom? I don't think so, Fi may not look it but, she's pretty scary if she gets mad. And there's only two things that can make her mad; lack of sweets; me being in a dangerous position. Have you heard of Flash Forest?"

"Not really."

"That's a forest that appeared without warning, densely packed with trees to the point of being suffocating. Even if people tried to level the trees, they end up growing back within seconds. A wizard would tell you a different story; they would say how heavy and constricting the air is, how heavy everything feels, the magic density could make a weaker wizard go insane.

"It's been ten years since I was kidnapped, and everything stayed the same. If you go around the surrounding area, you'll find the plants there grow much faster, turn out bigger. Even with the magic being siphoned like that, it's still like a bottomless well. That's why Natsu, I take care of myself more than you think, I always bring someone capable with me to protect me. If Fi ever comes into play, I can't calculate the damage."

"Then that's more reason to bring me along."

"You'll have to ride a train."

"I'm not…"

"And it'll be boring for you, I won't have time to spend with you either."

"Fine…just promise me you'll come back fine."

"Aren't you getting over possessive? I don't think that you should do that." Hisui pushed Natsu out the train as the departure signal rang. "Some girls may like that but, to me, I find it restricting, it reminds me of being in the palace all day. Please keep that in mind."

"Sorry…"

"Of course, there is always a time and place for many things, even for the one I dislike. However, it is your responsibility to figure out when that time is, if you really are planning to follow through with this, you need to learn how to read more about people than you are now."

"Your standards are higher than Erza's."

"You got yourself into this." Hisui chuckled at Natsu's dismay. "That's all the time we have, I'll see you soon."

"See ya!" Natsu said with a toothy grin. Hisui watched as Natsu's figure was barely visible and the only way she could identify him was the pink dot that blurred with the each second. Walking back to her compartment, Hisui found Karie skimming flipping the pages of a book. Seeing her sitting crossed-legged and being in her own world, if it wasn't for the maid uniform, Hisui would have mistaken Karie for someone with power.

"Sorry I was late, Natsu took more convincing that I thought."

"He does seem to be quite attached to you, why don't you just tell me what happened that night? I'm pretty sure I can figure it out soon enough, it would save me the hassle too." Hisui took a seat opposite of her maid and breathed a long sigh.

"I suppose that's true, we do have plenty of time as well. So…Natsu confessed to me after the festival."

"So that's why you weren't able to focus the next day."

"You're not mad?"

"Why would I be?"

"A Princess shouldn't be in a relationship with someone like Natsu."

"That's not for me to say, if I did, I would be denying my mother's background. Though I'm your servant, my father made me a noble, I guess 'The Foolish Servant' does suit me."

"You still won't tell me why you decided to be a maid."

"That's because it's embarrassing…"

"Well I just told you something I rather not, it's your turn."

"You didn't say anything about that!"

"It's only fair, I won't laugh, just tell me."

"I really wanted to take care of you…" Karie said in a hushed tone.

"Pardon? You worked so hard just so you can take care of me?" Karie nodded.

"Remember when I first met you?"

"How could I not? You stopped me from sneaking out the palace, I received some harsh words from father that day."

"Well, when we first met, I was asking mother for a little sister, but she refused me of course, she already used the little time she had to raise me, adding another one to take care of would be a disaster. That when I ran into you.

"I didn't know you were the Princess, only that you were cute and I couldn't leave a child that's younger than me wander out the palace without adult supervision."

"So your sisterly instincts prevented me from having fun?"

"I was protecting you. When I was back home, I couldn't take you out of my mind. So I asked mother who you were. Afterward, everything else was easy, I asked mother to me train to be a maid."

"I wonder sometimes."

"Hmm?"

"How many more stories like that do you have?"

"That's all I have!"

"Is it? After Fi told me how your parent got together, I was really curious on how many other things you hid from me to save face. Judging from how much your father dotes on you every time we visit him, I'm willing to say that you have plenty." Hisui finished with a playful smile. "Why don't I just ask the man himself?"

"You're going to break down all my hard work just like that!?"

"Don't worry, no matter how crazy the stories are, you'll always be my cool, reliable older sister."

"That not the point!"

Hisui frowned the instant she stepped out the train with Karie carrying the luggage that was holding the same concern. Hisui didn't ask the guards that saluted to her ask she was escorted to her carriage prepared for her, the body language of her people told her plenty, many people lacked the same bounce to their movements compared to when Hisui normally strolling the streets; backs slightly hunched forward.

"Wilford was deeply loved, I know this," Hisui said lightly, "I just didn't expect the impact to be so big."

"I haven't seen the city like this for a while now." Karie remarked.

"The last time was when mother passed…can we hurry? Bestia is suffering the most."

"There's no need." Karie pointed out a window. A white horse in the colours that Hiusi recognised—purple and black—riding closer to them. At the side of the horse, was the Vernati symbol; a black cat on a purple backdrop. Riding the horse, was a girl with black ink as hair that flowed to her waist. The clothes she was wearing wasn't anything gaudy but Hisui could tell it was made of quality materials. The navy-blue jeans and black jacket would catch anyone that wasn't close the girl off-guard. The horse rode side-by-side with Hisui's carriage. And with a leap, the girl jumped off her horse—leaving it to disappear in the crowds—landing perfectly in the carriage.

"Bestia, there are better ways to join us." Hisui chided to the girl that just took a seat next to Karie, giving Hisui a good look at Bestia's yellow cat-like eyes, sharp, observant. Yet, never once did they meet Hisui's eyes

"But it's been so long since we've seen each other."

"There are times when I wish that you weren't a spitting image of the Vernati house members, your energy can be hard to keep up with." Hisui said, noting the strange tameness to her friend's figure, they weren't filled with the small movements like rubbing her thumb and index finger together, or the eyes that darted around to take in her surroundings.

"Emily was the only one that could, wasn't she?"

"Both of you are similar after all." Hisui traced Bestia's eyes, the book on Karie's lap. "I'm sorry about what happened to your father, it must really tough for you."

"I'm managing…I still haven't gotten over it…I still…say good morning to him but then…"

"Don't you find it strange? How could a healthy man like him just leave overnight? Do you know if anything could have caused it?"

"I…don't know…Hisui, can we save it for later?"

"Of course! I'm such a terrible friend! I shouldn't be asking these kinds of things, please forgive me." Hisui pulled Bestia into a hug.

"Thanks." The rocking helped calm the girl down as they slowly made their way to the palace. "Everyone else doesn't understand."

"What do you mean?" Hisui asked, confused at her friend restarting a topic that wasn't healthy for her at the moment.

"I have to act like everything is fine because everyone is expecting me to be the next leader."

"That's why you have me don't you? I'm sorry I didn't rush over to comfort you. You don't have to act when I'm around, you cheeky fox."

"But I thought that I'm more like a cat?" A small smile creeping up on Bestia's lips. "My family is based on a cat."

"Strange isn't it? Everything about you but your acting is leaning towards a cat, even your take-overs are mainly felines, people are even speculating that you won't ever wed because of all the cats keeping you company. But anyone that has interacted with you would say you're a fox."

"Speaking of my children, I wouldn't have recovered this much if it wasn't for them."

"I assume Zoey is still adventurous?" Hisui asked, hoping to pull mortality away from Bestia's mind.

"Yes, just this morning, she caught a bird and brought it to me."

They continued to chat as they went through a gate, acknowledging the salutes from guards as the carriage parked at the door steps to the palace. Karie got out first and held the door for the other two passengers to follow.

"Not much has change since I last came here." Hisui noted, scanning each stone brick with fondness, "I suppose that isn't bad." The door opened, a short man stepped out with a smile.

"Hisui, welcome back."

"Father? Why are you here?"

"Is it wrong for me to see my daughter as soon as she comes home?"

"No, it's just, I didn't expect you would come to me."

"Urgent matters, we've found out that the late Duke was poisoned." Bestia stiffed, Hisui frowned while Karie held hate in her eyes. "I hired people to do a check to find the cause of death, no physical damage or signs of magic was found. But hints of poison were present."

"You think that this connected with what happened at Harvest Festival?"

"There's a high chance, they're too closely timed to be disregarded as a coincidence."

"I'll figure out who is doing this."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not really the kind of person to hold a grudge but, I was planning to investigate the one behind the attack, if they are related, I'll find out who is behind the poisoning. But for now, I want to focus my efforts on honouring the Duke's death first."

"Then I'll leave it to you, report to me all your findings. For now, let's have lunch, I presume that you didn't eat?"

"I haven't. Bes, do you want to join us?"

"Is that okay?" Bestia asked, looking at the King of his answer.

"Of course, you're always welcome." Toma said with a smile.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry for being slow again on this chapter, I want to highlight the funeral for plot reasons, hopefully I do a good job on that.**

 **Again, I feel like I'm doing a terrible job in balancing the two aspects of the story. I also realise that I use these sections to complain a lot, this is mainly due to bad planning on my part and thus, making the writing more frustrating that it needs to. Maybe I'll learn my lesson this time and have a clear plan rather that a few bullet-points on a notepad.**

 **It's also affecting my uploading time, I generally try for every 7 to 10 days per chapter, it's been moving a bit backwards, sorry for that.**

 **Thanks for the nice suggestions by the way, I thought that I have been bitching a lot rather than expressing my gratitude to the people that have been giving me great suggestions forward the plot in the romance side. So let me take the time to say: Thank You!**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, have a nice day!**


	24. Chapter 24: Funeral Feud

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

Hisui adjusted her cloche hat constantly, trying to ignore the dull, sombre cloud blanket and focus on the black headwear that wouldn't go in the right place no matter how hard she tried—she couldn't. The sky was clearly mocking her, just yesterday, not a cloud in sight but now, at the time of the funeral, not a spec of brightness peeked out from the grey mess. She wondered many times; who was in-charge of the weather? Having a perfect read of the moods of people and event that's about to occur. Of course, her rational side would beat out the notion sending it to the ground and letting it germinate to truth; it was all in her head. Two knocks on the door finally gave Hisui the excuse to pull herself from the clouds.

"Come in." Hisui was caught off-guard seeing her friend not wearing a maid uniform, but a black dress and a scarf. At a soft click, Hisui quickly regained control of her composure.

"His Majesty requires us to arrive at the site in an hour, are you ready?" Karie asked, walking closer to place the hat in its right spot.

"How do you do that? I guess it doesn't matter, I'm just about ready." Hisui stood and smoothened the wrinkles on her black dress that had no other defining features but a belt that outlined her waist. "Fi, are you coming with us?" Hisui turned her attention to the small girl sitting in a plant pot, surrounded by dirt.

"I'm not done with my bath," the spirit said, pouring water in the soil and sighing, "you two go ahead, I don't think that I'll come with you, I'll appear if anything happens."

"Just don't go over-board if you do show up, we're in the capital."

"Yes ma'am." Fiore slurred, back facing Hisui and waving her goodbye, stopping when she heard the door close, only to fill the room with a burst of content.

"I wonder who's older at times." Hisui said, heels clicking on the floor.

"Have you considered that she simply doesn't want to attend another funeral?"

"I didn't…but do you think that she's bored of them or she's seen too many ceremonies?"

"Perhaps it's both, that girl is hard to understand."

"I suppose that's true." They turned another corner to see Bestia just stepping out a guest room. "Good morning Bes, did you sleep well?" Karie bowed once those words left Hisui's lips.

"Good morning you two, I slept better than I did back at home."

"That's good, we have a long day ahead."

"Unfortunately." Arriving at the courtyard, they found a carriage waiting for them, with the King already seated.

"Good morning you three."

"""Good morning"""

"Bestia, I hope you found our palace hospitable." Toma gave the signal to the driver to start their journey.

"It was more than that Your Majesty, the servants were incredibility helpful."

"That's good, I'll pass on the word to them, is there anyone in particular that stood out to you?"

"A maid and butler called Joan and Ryan, their services were thoughtful and well executed."

"I'll be sure to reward them once we return." Toma noted. "Hisui, how has Magnolia been for you? I hope those trouble makers at Fairy Tail isn't causing you too much problems?"

"No, they've been helping me plenty, if it wasn't for them, I'm sure that Fi would have rampaged at the festival."

"I suppose that's true." Toma sighed.

"Though they can be a hassle at times, especially Natsu."

"What about the young man?"

"He's a wonderful friend, kind, loyal to a fault. He's the one that's been in-charge of me to have fun, Karie also. They make sure I don't bury my time in work and use some of it to socialise. Natsu is great fun to be around, he keeps things fresh. He even taught me how to fish!"

"Now that's something I didn't expect, when you were little, you said you didn't want anything to do with fishing."

"You can't hope a child to be patient and derive fun in talking with people, they would rather play." Toma smirked at Hisui's comment. Hisui continued to share about her stay in Magnolia, pouring in her passion for the city she was in-charge of. Both Toma and Bestia noticed her tone became bouncy when she mentioned Natsu's antics and silly behaviour.

"It seems like my worries were needless, Karie's reports were accurate." Toma looked out the window. "We're here." Hisui frowned seeing the same expression throughout the site—not that she blamed them, but it did affect the sharing mood she was in a few second before. She took a quick glance at Bestia, her small smile disappeared like an ember in a cold, winter night.

Stepping out her transport, Hisui was hit with a wave of coldness—not from the weather, but from the area itself. They stopped at a church, simple in design, stone bricks stacked to a building that's twice as tall as a normal stone house, mixing grey and white, creating a washed-out look from where they were standing—ten steps away. Rich red doors swung open, giving way to sparsely populated pews on either side. At the centre, was a pedestal supporting a cherry red coffin, crowned with a bouquet of lilies. The little amount of people that were seated stood upon seeing their ruler enter, about to give their greetings

"Stop," Toma ordered, "today, I'm not a King but a person grieving the loss of someone important to me." The noble sat back down only at Toma's stern gaze. "I'm going to have some words with the priest," He looked at the shaken Bestia, "Hisui, can you guide Bestia to her seat?"

"Of course." Hisui took Bestia by the shoulders, adding a gentle squeeze before pushing the girl down the aisle. Now getting a good look at the coffin, Hisui spotted cat carvings that were a part of the crown, hoisting up flowers proudly. Once they sat down, Hisui rubbed circles around Bestia's back.

"I want my cat to be here…"

"Sorry, I'm all that you have."

"I didn't mean it like that, I just want to hug them."

"I don't really have anything that can help with—"

"Lady Bestia, I'm so sorry for your loss." Hisui turned, holding in her disgust seeing a pair of scheming blue eyes behind glasses. The man was tall and in good shape, though not muscular. His suit drive attention to his blond hair. "If I can help with anything, please let me know, I assure you that the Faren House will give its all to aid you."

"I doubt that such a poor family can help too much." Another voice interjected, this time, it was a woman cloaked in a fur coat, wrapped in a tight black dress. "Darling, just say the word and I guarantee; I will help you."

"This isn't the time for this." Hisui reminded, throwing a harsh stare at the two aristocrats.

"Hisui, I'm fine," Bestia said, putting on a flawless smile, "thanks you for your kindness, I'll take both your offers into account." As the two nobles walked away, HIsui huffed.

"You shouldn't have given them a response, it makes you look weak."

"It's fine, I'm used to it, I've received letters from other houses that invited me to dinner; the families with sons of age anyway."

"And you accepted." Hisui concluded sadly.

"What else can I do? I need to secure some healthy relationships with other families." Bestia forced a smile. "Don't worry, I'm not planning to wed, not to anyone that's trying to take advantage of me when I'm in this state. They're not after me anyway." The doors burst open, a fiery presence stormed in with one goal in mind. An amber ponytail swung side to side with each stride, burning eyes filled with concern. The woman's evenly tanned skin clashed with her suit. To Hisui and Bestia, it was a sight for sore eyes. Instantly, the woman pulled Bestia into a hug.

"I'm so sorry I didn't come here earlier Bes, Rudy was sick. How have you been? Did you get my letter at least? Have you been eating well? Did you get enough rest? Are too many people pestering you?"

"Emily, you're crushing me…" Bestia said, struggling out of Emily's hold. "I'm getting by."

"Emily, maybe you should let her go," Hisui said, "you are holding her pretty tight. Also, think about where we are right now."

"That can wait." Emily shrugged. She quickly took Bestia's other flank, facing Toma, who had just finished talking with the priest and was now walking down stairs to sit besides Hisui.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, Your Grace, My Lords and My Ladies," the priest spoke in a call voice, broadcasting far to the back, "thank you for gathering here to remember and celebrate the late Duke Wilford's achievements before his untimely passing. May he be as successful in the land of the departed as he was in this one.

"Duke Wilford was known for his kindness and selflessness, he shared his boons with his people, he took the burden from his people to suffer in solitude." Hisui turned her head around upon hearing a quiet scoff behind her. Being met with the same, unified expression, she turned back around, frowning when she realised she missed parts of the speech. "…and because of this, sacrificing the family treasury so that he could feed his people, is one of the many reasons why Duke Wilford earned the people's love."

As the priest's speech went on, Hisui took Bestia's hand, it flinched before knitting fingers together. Bestia held her head down, eyes closed, and her free hand was on her lap, never moving until the ceremony had ended. Hisui squeezed slightly.

"Come on, we need to go to the burial site."

"Lady Bestia," Hisui spun to face to face a group of nobles, "can we have a bit of your time? We're all people that are in debt to your father, he was a great man, can we have a few words?" They were all people that Hisui recognised, mainly nobles who were weak in terms of power, owning small plots of land. The person that spoke in a careful tone, not really matching his sharp green eyes. Hisui looked at Bestia who was staring at the man's shoes.

"Of course, I would like to have a word with everyone." Hisui and Emily got up from their seats, only to be pulled back by Bestia. "Please stay…"

"Then I'll start first," said the man, "thanks to His Grace's donations, my village is seeing better yields in harvest. And I wish to repay him for what he had done. But sadly," the man glanced at the coffin, "I can't do that, perhaps you can accept my gratitude towards him?" He pulled out a small box. "This is the finest tea that my village has produced." Bestia took the box gingerly.

"Thank you…father always loved good tea." Bestia motioned for a servant to come and in seconds, the box warped away. With firm strides, the man walked away, and an elderly woman supported by servants stepped up. "Irin, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Even an old bag like me has to see Wily once last time, even though he was quite the nosy brat, never stopped yapping about my smoking habits. Look at the old fool now, leaving before me," Irin said bitterly, a tear forming; a shaky hand brought itself closer to her capped lips.

"Please don't waste his efforts." Bestia took hold of the elder woman's hand.

"Even his daughter," Irin grumbled, "well, Johnny, bring it here." A servant next to her took out a battered book, presenting it to Bestia. "Not to her you fool! Give it to me! What point is there if I don't give to her it myself?"

"But—"

"I still got enough muscle to give you a good slapping, so a bloody notebook is nothing!" Irin snatched the notebook from her servant's hands and seemingly lost all strength in the same instant, her grip on the book became shaky in her bony hands "This is a book that Wily left in my care until you were old enough to read this, he couldn't have you accidently finding it when you're snooping around your house you see." Taking the book, Bestia inspected it, turning it around, stroking the spine of the book. "I haven't read the thing myself but, he said that it was important, go give it a read when you're free."

"I will." Bestia clutched the book close to her heart. "Can I…visit you sometimes?"

"Of course, dear, your father was always welcome, there's no reason why you're not. In fact, if you don't come visit, you'll get a stern letter from me, someone needs to keep this old woman company, just don't come late like your lousy father."

"I won't." Bestia smiled.

"There you go, there's a time and place for a smile, and right now, you need to find more, I look forward to seeing you." After watching Irin walk out the door, Bestia continued interacting with nobles while Emily and Hisui sat next to her, eying each person carefully. Several seemed too enthusiastic to Hisui's eyes, though she didn't want to suspect people for taking advantage of a dead person, the poison that her father mention kept her on edge, hoping that someone would act out of place, giving her even the slightest loose string for her to tug on, guiding her to unravel the person behind the Duke's death, or at least, provided some suspects—not much triggered her expert eyes or her sensitive ears. So, Hisui stepped in her carriage with less leads than she had hoped, she'd rather not use process of elimination, but she can't deny its effectiveness.

With Bestia and Emily in the same car, Hisui let out a sigh, stretching in pleasure, casting away soreness she got from being in public before leaning on Karie's shoulder. She held herself back from fully relaxing, the funeral never leaving her mind, but certainly pushed back with the same motion she did with the air above her.

"How are you feeling?" Hisui peered into Bestia's dilated eyes for answers, watching them come back into focus, noting that the pupils dancing before facing Hisui.

"I'm doing better, after talking with everyone, I know that I'm not alone."

"You never were." Emily interjected, letting the rocking from wheels sink in with her words. "Though Hisui, you could be less tense, why were you trying to peel everyone's skin off?"

"It's just me being hopeful. I'm hoping that I could find out who is behind this incident and the one that happened in Magnolia."

"What makes you think that you think that you would find the person?"

"That's why I was being hopeful. Thinking back, hoping to find the person that poisoned Bestia's father is a bit of a stretch."

"I didn't hear of this." Emily leaned forward, crossing her legs. "Is this true?"

"Father didn't make it public, so it isn't a surprise that you didn't know." Bestia pinched her fingers, biting her lips with sharp fangs. "And I'm hoping that you two can help me uncover on who did it, or at the very least, figure out what happened that night."

"Of course, I'll help, if I can help Wilford rest, I would jump at the opportunity. Having said that, my domain is the furthest away out of all of us, I can't think of any meaningful way that I can help."

"That's exactly why! Whoever is behind this would be careful with me since I'm most likely to be investigating this, you have more freedom to explore the kingdom for disturbances. What do you think Bes?"

"Huh? Yeah, I think it's a great idea…it'll catch them off-guard."

"Then I'll send people to trail some nobles, I have a list of people that I want to get through."

"You sure work fast." Emily commented.

"A bit late if you ask me." Hisui responded dryly. "I still have no clue who was behind the attack on my city, I thought it was someone that has a grudge on me but, after learning about Wilford's passing, I'm left with a blank slate."

"Again, you're losing focus," Karie said, "the burial comes first, then you're free to carry on." Karie held out a bouquet to remind her master.

"You know you can't put out my thinking when it starts."

"And that's why I'm here." Karie smiled. "My job is—besides taking care of your daily needs is, making sure that you don't get side-tracked, albeit a terrible one."

Upon the transport slowing down, Hisui finally pulled away from the conversation she was having and moved to the burial site. Though it wasn't her first visit, this one felt personal, raw. Memories played when Hisui stepped out; trips to the Vernati House for the sake of hiding from her father; chasing Bestia and Emily around corners while role playing with the Duke watching over them; sleepovers at the mansion. The winds rang hollow, trees equally bare. Countless tombstones blurred at the distance, detailed up close—more than Hisui would have liked.

Once Hisui arrived at the burial site, tombstones were fenced off with people Hisui rather not talk to, attending out of formality was the main reason why the numbers more than doubled. Within seconds, a rectangle-shaped hole was craved out along with a wave of magic power. A group of wizards lifted a coffin, pushed pass the crowds and gently lowered the coffin while Hisui watched wood walls snugly kiss against dirt.

"A shame isn't it Your Highness?" A man next to Hisui said. It was a thick voice filled with experience.

"The loss of Lord Wilford you mean?"

"I suppose that's true…no, I'm referring to the sudden loss of a loved one, especially when you're so young. You end up thinking about the time you could have spent with that person, how different a life would you get? What would happen? Though, I'm sure Your Highness has explored your imagination plenty." Hisui finally tore her eyes away from cascading soil to meet the man.

"I have, I don't believe there's anything wrong with it."

"Not moving on comes to mind."

"People can't move on with this little amount of time. Afterwards, the fantasies slow down until they only resurface during special circumstances. Is there a specific reason why you brought this up?" The man chuckled.

"Before we continue, I'll start by saying that I'm on your side, I can even introduce you to an expert."

"You want me to trust someone that acquired information when it hasn't been announced?"

"It's natural for bottom-feeders to have sophisticated information network." The man shrugged. "You would get preyed on without one."

"I suppose. But I doubt that you know who is behind this?"

"I'm as lost as you are in that regard, even someone like me can't compare to Your Highness in terms of information. But I may have something that you might want."

"I suppose you want me to exchange for it?"

"Not in the slightest." The man drew an envelope from his coat. "What I want is for you to rule this kingdom, and what I'm doing is eliminating all obstacles from my wish." He slowly handed to the letter to Hisui

"Then I'm afraid that it won't come to pass." The man's hand stopped. "I'm planning to co-rule this kingdom with someone."

"Who might that be?"

"I'm not too sure, but I have my eyes on someone interesting. He still has ways to go ability wise but, everything else about him excites me." The hand delivered the letter.

"If he's nothing like the people here," the man scanned around, "I'm fine with it." Hisui took the letter.

"He's from a different world." Hisui said with a smile.

"That's more than enough for me."

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 **Thanks for reading! Sorry for being later in this upload than usual, I had a bunch of projects suddenly thrown at my face.**

 **My personal life aside, I made some small adjustment in the previous chapter, nothing that needs re-reading because it's to correct some mistakes that I made in the previous chapter.**

 **Hopefully that this chapter wasn't too slow for everyone, that's the vibe I got from this chapter.**

 **Besides that, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter, have a nice day!**


	25. Chapter 25: Return To Business

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

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On the train ride back to Magnolia, Hisui played with a loose flap of the envelope she received, thinking about which part of her information network would be the most relevant. Recalling what happened to her at her city's festival, she decided to tug on the biggest lead she had.

"Karie, you said that those hounds take about three years to mature right?"

"Correct, is there something wrong?"

"Was there an incident three years ago that had a sudden disappearance of our hounds? Or maybe demand to breed them increased?"

"I can't recall everything to the second, should I have someone look into it?"

"Please do." Karie took a small lacrima from her pocket and got to work.

"Fi?" Hisui poked a white flower jutted out her hair. "Can you wake up?" A high-pitched yawn followed by a ticklish feeling in Hisui's hair told Hisui that her spirit wasn't really in too deep of a sleep. The flower reversed in age, turning back into a bud then blossomed again. This time, a cute face that was rubbing her eyes popped out Hisui's hair.

"…yes? What's…up?" Fiore asked.

"How much do you know about poision?"

"Depends…if it's from a plant…I" A yawn. "know everything. From an animal, forget about it."

"How long does it take for poison to lose its effectiveness?"

"You're asking me to solve something without giving me all the details, what was the poison extracted from? How was it stored? What form was it in? The list goes on."

"We don't exactly know."

"Then give up, as amazing as I am, I can't travel back in time to find out, try another method to achieve your goal."

"But I have nothing else to work on."

"Wait." Fiore firmly ordered. "No one that's attacking the country will stop after doing this little damage, this person will continue, you can gather more information then."

"But it's so frustrating! I can't do anything about it. Haven't you encountered something like this before?"

"Many, to the point where you can't glean any valuable information from them. They're all so different from each other." After a pause, Fiore frowned. "They do all have something in common."

"What is it!?"

"They all got caught in the end."

"Fi! You're not helping!"

"I said that so you won't be the first one to fail. You'll be fine."

"That's easy for you to say, you don't have to worry about these kinds of things."

"Who said?" Bouncy words turned cold and firm. "I don't want some bastard ruining this country. If I see this place collapse, what's the point of me dying for it? I've seen every state of Fiore, good and bad, and if I wasn't bound to the ruler by contract, the ones that led the country to shame would have been destroyed by me instead of by proxy. The only people I want ruling are those who truly love this place, you and Carol are among the top, I don't have enough information to judge that Dragon-slayer yet but, I'm taking a liking to him. More importantly, I'll trust your judgement."

"You know about—"

"Of course I do!" Fiore grinned, returning to her bubbly state, propping her head with her hands and kicking her feet in and out of Hisui's hair. "Any girl would be curious if a guy calls another girl out for a talk. When you can control plants like me, having multiple pairs of ears is a piece of cake!"

"What can't you do?" Hisui groaned.

"Let's see…cooking, sewing, going easy on people…ummm...give me more time to think about it."

"Never mind." Hisui sighed in defeat, the need to treat the sudden headache in her head was more urgent.

Every time Hisui sat back in her office was a different experience, previously it was resignation. Swinging open her office door, everything was just as she left it but a few small details. A fresh batch of unread mails sat patiently on her clean desk. Next came the reports that told her of the major developments in her absence. Progress to projects that's far too young for revealing. Finally, was her schedule for the week. Flipping through it, and seeing her timetable loosely packed, Hisui smiled. For now, she was free for the day, her crew was getting more efficient. Hisui sat at her desk, going through her mail, holding it with her right hand and taking notes with her left, all the while thanking Karie for training her to be proficient with both hands.

When Hisui was finished, she quickly made changes to her schedule—creating conflict in her head. In a flash, the time she could spend with her friends just got slashed in half, wincing when she heard a knock at the door. It was a sound that she couldn't recognise, it wasn't Karie as the knocks were too rough and had a longer interval between each beat.

"Come in." Hisui pulled a blank paper expecting to take notes from listening to her visitor's problems. To her surprise, the person had lovely pink locks and a muscular body. "Natsu? Is something wrong?" She looked at her friend with worry in her eyes, glancing to the cat on his shoulder in hopes to pick more information.

"Not at all, why do you ask?"

"Well…how do I say this? You never knock, so I thought that something happened."

"You noticed!? Yes! It's paid off!"

"Aye! Erza would kill you if you didn't." Happy chimed.

"What has?"

"Natsu ask Erza and Lucy to teach him to be politer and have more etiquette."

"You did that…for me?" Without knowing, a smile formed at Hisui's lips.

"Sure!" Natsu grinned. "You told me to be more serious right? So I told Happy about what happened and asked him for advice."

"Then I suggested that Natsu should learn manners."

"I must say, I'm very impressed. I was planning to teach myself but, since you're already working on it, I suppose, I don't have to." Hisui said, disappointed that she didn't get to see Natsu's awkward period. "Did you have anything else you want to show me?"

"Not really, Happy said that I still haven't mastered it yet."

"Natsu still starts fight with random people." Happy snickered.

"Hey! He was being a jerk."

"But that's the opposite of having manners. Hisui, you sure want an idiot like Natsu?"

"You bastard!"

"While he may be silly at times," Hisui started, getting out her seat to meet Natsu, "simultaneously, it's his charm." Placing a hand on Natsu's cheek, Hisui continued. "Change is scary because people are afraid to lose the things that they loved, what they are familiar with. So promise me this Natsu; no matter how much you've learned in preparation to share the throne with me, you'll never lose your charm points. Because regardless of how important the things are you'll learn in the future to be beside me, it's not worth it if you lose what made me come to like you in the first place."

"I promise I won't."

"Good, please keep your promise."

"Who do you think I am?"

"You're right, I was being irrational."

"I do have something to ask you."

"Go on."

"Can you teach me the other things that I need to know?"

"Are you sure? We can leave it for another day. Things can get complicated really quickly, just the idea of teaching you politics might be the hardest thing I have to do."

"Please! I can't just wait like this, I want to stand beside you."

"Even though we're not together yet? We might shatter, and you'll waste all your efforts."

"Why would I worry about something that won't happen?" Studying Natsu, intently, Hisui lowered her hand.

"If you're so determined…is next week alright?"

"You bet!"

"I'll say this first: I don't know how free I'll be every week, you might be spending most of your time learning by yourself, is that fine with you?"

"No problem, I'll just ask Lucy or gramps."

"I'll see you soon."

"See you later!"

At the sound of her door closing, Hisui smiled, she finally gets to spend more time with Natsu. She took a quick glance at her timetable. Finding out that she still had free time, she asked Karie to fetch some textbooks.

Arriving at Fairy Hills, Hisui—with her books in tow—sprawled on her bed with a sigh. Nothing really came to mind when her back reach the blanket, rather, she felt more at ease seeing her desk than her own bed. It was just a place of rest for her.

"This is your room? Quite dull…" A mature feminine voice rang in Hisui's ear; pollen tickled the nose.

"Fi? Sorry but, I'm too tired to deal with you." Hisui rolled over to meet Fiore sitting on the bed, playing with her rich green vines for hair.

"Now you're just treating me as pet," Fiore pouted, "I'm not that much of a pain!"

"Hard to believe when you're acting like that."

"Have you read the letter yet?"

"I haven't, I was planning to read it here."

"What do you think is in there? A confession?"

"Why are you never serious?" Another headache started to run laps around Hisui's head.

"Just open it." Tearing open the envelope, Hisui gingerly pull a fine piece of paper.

"Want me to read it?"

"Sure."

"Your Highness, once I heard that the death of His Grace was no strike of misfortune, I sent some trusted people to do an examination about the Duke's death and came back with some key information.

"The method of assassination is poison, specifically from a plant called One's Mercy." Fiore sucked her teeth. "What's wrong?"

"We now know that the guy is rich, or at least someone with a good deal of money is a part of this plan." Meeting Hisui alertness, Fiore continued. "One's Mercy is a rare plant and can only be sourced from the wild—in a single place. While it can be hard to extract, the toxins in the flower results in a near natural death, so only experienced people performing the autopsy can tell if something is wrong."

"And I assume the place it grows in is dangerous so it's even harder to procure?"

"You're catching on. What else does the letter say?"

"Though the assassination was already done, it might be worth while to send people to investigate who was the one that sourced the plant, so I send men to find out, but no word came back.

"I implore Your Highness to be vigilant in your objective. One way or another, information seemed to have been lost, what I gathered have no correlation with each other. Until I make sense of the information I have gathered, I will omit them from any correspondence. Best of luck." Hisui folded the paper. "That's it, there's no name written on this."

"Well," Fiore hummed, "the sender is quite interesting, who gave it to you?"

"A middle-aged man, and I don't remember who he is even after seeing his face."

"I thought your Carol taught you not do that?"

"I only saw him once when I was young, that's all I can gather, he did call himself a bottom-feeder, most likely, he's serving under someone, and the letter didn't even tell me who." A groan filled the room.

"Don't get too caught up in this person, clearly they won't help that much if they won't even disclose their name." Fiore glanced around the room, lighting with excitement when she saw a flower by the window. "You didn't tell that you had a Moondew!"

"I didn't think it would that big of a deal."

"Of course it's big! You've been having nightmares?" Fiore checked Hisui for bags under her eyes.

"I rarely do, the worse was having nightmares for nearly a month when mother passed. This was a gift from Natsu."

"Do you know what happens when it blooms?"

"It bears fruit."

"One that is really sweet. More importantly, it's filled with magic, eating one will replenish your magic instantly." Fiore folded into a sad smile then sprung to repulsion. "During my time, people would abuse kids and set up Moondew to harvest their fruits, we were in a war after all, the army was desperate to get any advantage they can. When I stopped the practise, a generation of children were scarred." Fiore's sentence sunk in, neither said anything.

"I prefer this side of you Fi," Hisui said softly, "not the spirit that refuses to grow up, but the one that I could depend one for knowledge and experience."

"Then everything would be meaningless, people grow faster when they experience things for themselves. Also, I might slip something that you wouldn't want to hear."

"Is it about how you became a spirit?" Fiore didn't answer. "Well? First Queen of Fiore?"

"Last Princess of Bilard." Fiore corrected. "My rule was short, and it wasn't officially recorded into history, expect the royal family's records"

"But that one day was the most important in Fiore history, I wish I could tell everyone what really happened."

"I think this version is fine; a Princess was sacrificed so that a new country could be established. Such a minor detail isn't worth changing what's common knowledge for generations."

"Then what don't you want to slip out? Is it really how you turn a human to a spirit?"

"It's something like that, I don't really mind telling you about that kind of stuff, some parts of it anyway, you wouldn't be able to re-create it regardless. Some other things, I rather not slip."

"I will find out sooner or later."

"Only through one way; me telling you. You're not ready yet. Besides, you'll get distracted if I told you, just focus on your job for now, I'll look for the right time."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

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 **I really need to get a consistent uploading schedule, I'm afraid it's only going to get worse because my school is going to take more of my free time, so please bear with me. I do have a reason for uploading so lately.**

 **I was planning to write a Christmas special. And since I don't really have the best record of doing things quickly, I decided to finish the special before writing this one. So for once in my life, I should be able to upload a new chapter when I want to.**

 **I'm also backing myself into a wall with all this development. If I don't make the villain as cunning as I made the led up suggest, it's going to suck. And here's where I bitten off more than I could chew again. I'm not too good with those kind of characters. Hopefully I manage to do a good job on this arc. After this, I should finally be able to focus on the romance. So for the people that came here for the relationship between Natsu and Hisui, I have good news! You won't have to deal with all this slow shit. Hopefully.**

 **And that's it! I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter, thanks for reading this chapter.**

 **Have a nice day!**


	26. Chapter 26: Christmas Ball

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

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Hisui hummed in her office, pen writing something that wasn't a formal document for a change, but Christmas cards. Instead of staring at a blank page to come up with an appropriate reply, her pen was gliding across cards, filling pages energetically, building up a tower in no time. Preparations for the celebrations were finished, as evident with the busy bodies outside, decorating the city with festive colours. All that was left is to wait for the huge celebration. Hisui added a spring to her tune, tapping her pen cap against her desk.

Once Hisui was finished, she shifted through her work, examining each letter to the strokes, separating the cards into two piles; the ones that are ready, and the ones that still needs work. The cycle repeated until she noticed that a tray of food was delivered to her desk. Silently thanking Karie, Hisui ate her lukewarm food while keeping her eyes on her creations. Her eyes hovered to a poster at the corner of her desk, grimacing at the thought of the contents. "Why did I approve of this?"

It was an innocent request, yet Hisui never expected it to blow up to such a huge deal people from her city agreed to join in, even a few famous mages from other guilds expressed interest in the event. She was just chatting with her friends in the Fairy Tail guild hall, mainly talking about holiday plans, places to visit and activities to be a part in, sprinkling some girls talk every now and then. A cough from Karie drew attention to her.

"Why don't we hold a ball?" Karie suggested. "I know that it doesn't fit Fairy Tail's style but, I believe that it would be fun."

"That's a great idea!" Agreed Lucy. "But, where should we hold it?" The blonde looked around. "I mean, the guild isn't the most atmospheric place for a ball."

"That's easy to fix," Mirajane said, "we can just decorate the guild, I'm sure Master wouldn't mind."

"I suppose…hey Hisui, what do you think?"

"We can make it work…it's just, I don't really want to be in another ball."

"Why not?"

"I just…have bad experiences with them. It's less about the dancing but the endless courting, or the lack of rest that I'm abhorrent to."

"But we're not like those slime-balls you described, we're your friends!"

"That still doesn't nullify my pass experiences with them."

"It'll be fun, come on." Hisui looked around to see the same pleading face, making her once again wonder why she doesn't have to ability to resist pleas from her friends yet, would slam anyone else with a cold ice wall. Hisui sighed and resigned to her fate after struggling with a losing battle in her head.

"Fine, at least I have an excuse to not be in father's ball this year, you can leave the organising to me." Cheers erupted, becoming the signal to change topics. While everyone else was excitedly talking about what clothes they should wear, Hisui's mind was lost in numbers and the past, taking inspiration from previous balls in hopes of letting people enjoy the event to its fullest.

Getting permission from the guild master was easy, finalising Hisui's fate. She asked around to find out the most preferred time; discussed with Karie and Mirajane to plan out food and drinks; requested Reedus to design a poster before finally calculating the cost of the ball. Three days ran by without Hisui even realising it until a poster showed up at her desk. Two knocks rapped on her office door.

"Come in." Hisui said, hastily putting away her Christmas cards. "Natsu? What's wrong?" Natsu closed the door while giving Hisui an immature look as if to ask something from his mother.

"You still didn't tell me if you'll dance with me at the ball."

"Sorry Natsu, I was busy for a while and I didn't really have much free time to think about it. In the first place, do you even know how to dance?"

"Sure I do, watch." Natsu broke into a dance that Hisui had never seen, Natsu adopted no uniform rhythm, opting for random arm flailing that resembled someone running from fire. "See? I can dance." Hisui was flabbergasted, wanting to look away the instant Natsu started dancing but she transitioned to laughter when facing his eyes that held no intention of joking. "Hey! It wasn't that bad was it?"

"Bad wouldn't even be enough to describe what I just saw!" Hisui said between laughs, broadcasting her clear, uncontrolled voice of pleasure around her office. "I don't even need to think about dancing with you."

"So you won't? I'll…ask someone else then." Natsu turned for the door, not wanting to show his rose-tinted cheeks.

"Stop." Hisui caught up to the retreating Dragon-slayer, voice becoming like a low musical hum, soft and soothing. "We still have two weeks, I can teach you."

"You mean it!?"

"Of course, since I'm going to join in the ball anyway, I might as well try to enjoy it. What better way to do that than to spent it with you?" Hisui took Natsu by the hand to the centre of her office. "Here should be fine. I'll just teach you the most basic one, we don't have as much time as I want and…you appear to not have any experience."

"Shut up…" Natsu complained, drawing another giggle.

"First is the stance. You can think of it like fighting; just like having a bad stance can cause you trouble in a fight, a bad stance in dancing will do the same. If you don't take this seriously you will: not look as good, interfere with the flow in general when moving from step to step. And if you're dancing with a partner: you'll inconvenience them. That's why posture is important, so I hope you don't mind me being harsher for a while."

"I've gone through Erza's torture." Natsu shrugged.

"We'll begin with what's called a closed position. First, place your right hand on my back, a bit above my waist."

"Like this?" Natsu asked, firmly planting his hand on Hisui's back, causing the girl to tense slightly. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No…you're doing fine. It's just…I didn't expect it to be this warm." Natsu's hand was rough, not like sand, but a dry towel—a warm towel.

"Do you—"

"It's not what you think, I like it," Hisui leaned into the hand supporting her, "I feel protected." Hisui pulled Natsu closer by placing her left hand on Natsu's right shoulder. "Natsu? Quit staring at my neck and pay attention."

"I wasn't," Natsu defended, "I was trying to look past it."

"Being too honest can…never mind." Hisui ignored her dyeing face and grabbed Natsu's free hand, knitted their fingers together then brought them to shoulder level. "And that's it. Any questions?" It's only when Hisui stopped focusing on teaching her student did burning wood tickled her nose. She felt her body heat up, branding her with a desire to clutch tighter.

"Nope."

"Then we're moving on." Hisui pulled out of their position, smiling at Natsu's disappointed look. "I'll show what you have to do, watch closely." Hisui showed the basic steps several times, her ponytail swaying in a mesmerising motion, feet drifting along the floor. Her dance flowed like smooth wine, letting Natsu drink in the intoxicating sight, lulling him into a drunken stupor. A blink took him on a one-way trip to a forest, dumbly standing in awe as imaginary music played in sync with a faery's movements. "Now you try." Hisui said, feet returning to their original position, as if they never moved at all. "Natsu? Are you there?" Hisui moved closer to see Natsu's vacant eyes. "Natsu!" Hisui shouted, hands on hip and putting on her best Erza impression.

"A—aye!"

"Do you even remember what happened?"

"Not really."

"From the stories Erza has told me and personal experience, you're not a passive learner…hmm…that's my mistake, I should have known. Come on, let's get back into position, we're going to dance together."

"Sweet! But I still don't know how to dance."

"You'll have to learn by doing." Hisui and Natsu got into position again, the former placing herself into a comfortable spot. "I'm starting to think that you didn't pay attention on purpose." Hisui said, noting that Natsu's hand were closer to her waist than last time. "Are you ready?"

"I'm all fired up!"

hard cut

"You did pretty well, seeing how it was your first time, just make sure to practise."

"Don't have a partner."

"You don't need one, the steps are that simple. In a few days, I'll teach you some advance techniques. At the rate you're going, you'll be prepared by the time the ball comes around. Speaking of which, do you even have a suit or maybe a tuxedo?"

"Why would I need one?"

"You don't even have formal wear!?"

"Nope, I rather spend money on other things than that stuffy thing."

"But you need one for the ball."

"I'll just buy one real quick." Natsu swung his arms behind his head, walking out the door.

"I'm coming with you."

"Why?"

"Do you know where to buy quality clothing?"

"No."

"That's why I'm coming. Plus, I get to see you in one."

"You've seen it before."

"That was hastily thrown on, I want to see you in formal wear without the intention of going into combat."

"How is that any different?"

"Everything!" Hisui retorted, tagging closely behind Natsu. "I want to see you wearing something other than what you're wearing right now."

"But I hate shopping with girls, they're too picky."

"We're picky because the small details go a long way, you'll be surprised how much your look can change with a little more effort." Hisui said, giddily walking to her favourite boutique. "I know we've got long ways to go, I'll mention it anyway, when you're going to a public event—which you're going to a lot once you become King, it's crucial to keep a good image."

"I hate going to those places."

"It's the price for wanting to be with me." Hisui teased. "Look on the bright side, we'll have each other. Besides, we need to hurry up, I have to buy presents for everyone soon."

"What's mine?"

"If you won't tell me what you're giving me, why should I tell you what I have in planned?"

They walked while keeping their friendly banter. Hisui kept her eyes active, admiring the festive sight without having anything to anchor her mind. Soaking the liveliness with her body and pouring smiles once overloaded. Just the thought that these bells and whistles are only just preparations brought a bigger smile to Hisui's face. She tagged the duller, barer parts of her city, lingering for a few seconds before moving to the next spot.

Natsu wasn't having as smooth of a time, he struggled to keep up with the Princess, mainly because it seemed like the mass of people didn't exist for her. Therefore, Hisui's jumping vibrant hair became a sign for life in a field of snow. When Natsu finally caught up, Hisui was patiently waiting for him outside a small shop without windows, only having a sign that read: 'Alice & Ava' and was sandwiched by two gaudy clothes shops.

"There you are, what happened?"

"Since when could you fly?"

"I…can't?"

"How did get here so quickly then?"

"I not quite sure myself. But that isn't important, let's go inside already."

"Sure." Natsu headed for the shop on the right.

"Not there, here." Hisui pointed to the sandwich filling.

"Seems fun, let's go." The two entered the shop and found a staircase leading down. "This place looks fishy."

"I thought a man like you would enjoy a place like this."

"I do, I just didn't expect you would come to places like this."

"Then you just don't know me enough." Hisui grinned. "Besides, I would be troubled if this shop was more well-known." She led Natsu downstairs with an air of familiarity. Quickly opening a blue door, she pushed Natsu inside.

Beside a plain counter, every part of the shop was used to display clothing, arranged from casual to formal. Spotlights shone on delicately designed dresses sorted from complex to simple.

"Hisui! How nice of you to visit." A woman in black trousers with bulky pockets and a loose, pearl shirt. Her forking black hair was tied in a braid to control the mess but still becoming a used brush at the end. "And you've brought Natsu."

"Where Alice?"

"She's gone to fetch some fabric, some stuck-up didn't want to deliver it to us. But that's enough about us, you need a new dress already?"

"No, Fairy Tail is holding a ball soon and Natsu doesn't have anything for the occasion."

"Hmm…" Ava circled Natsu, running her eyes along his toned body. "white tie?"

"It's nothing that formal, I don't think it would fit their style."

"That's true…a shame…he wouldn't be too bad in a tailcoat…but since it's black, we'll have to settle for a tuxedo, unless you think a tie looks better?"

"I'll leave it to you."

"You got it," Ava excavated her pockets for a measuring tape and a pen, spilling pieces of fabric and spools of thread, "stand still." Starting with Natsu's legs, Ava measured Natsu's dimensions, noting down every measurement as she went along. "Do you have anything in mind Natsu? Like colour? Or maybe something else?"

"I'm not taking off my scarf."

"Mhmm…anything else?"

"Nope."

"Then…Hisui, can you hand me the one behind you? No, the one next to it, yep, that's the one." Ava took a black tuxedo from Hisui's hands. "Thank you. Take this and try it on."

"Here!?"

"Of course not, I'm not in the right mood," Ava pushed aside some clothing to uncover a fitting room, "you go in there, have fun." Just as Natsu was about to brush the dresses to cover himself, Ava frowned. "Wait, do you even know how to put it on?" Getting a shake, Ava sighed. "Just put on the shirt and trousers, we'll handle the rest."

"Sure!"

"I'm surprised that he doesn't even know how to wear a tuxedo."

"Well," Hisui said, "you should have seen him when saw him in one, it was poorly put on, his tie wasn't even tied properly."

"At least he isn't going to wear them all the time."

"I prefer that he did, he needs to learn how to dress up formally."

"Why would he need to?"

"I…can't really say."

"I'll find out eventually."

"Not if I can help it."

"Well—"

"I'm done!" Natsu yelled.

"Come on out then, we'll teach you how put on the rest." Natsu walked out the changing room clutching his fist with the rest of his clothes hanging around his neck. "Not bad, a few extra touches and you'll be quite a star! What do you think Hisui?" The Princess in question started with the tight-fitting trousers—ignoring the cuffs that were sweeping the floor—anticipation rising at the thought of Natsu fully wearing a tuxedo. Natsu's misbuttoned, poorly tucked in shirt complimented Natsu's inherent wild look, which made Hisui wonder what happens if you contain a dragon.

"I'll tell you once we're done."

"Then I'll find some shoes, you put on the rest." Ava pushed pass more clothing to a flight of stairs.

"Put on the vest first, I'll teach you how to tie a bowtie afterwards."

"But it's already so stuffy!" Natsu whined.

"Stop being a child," Hisui pulled Natsu close to rebutton his shirt, "I won't be here all the time, most likely a servant will be the one to help you dress up, you don't want that right?" Tucking in the shirt, Hisui stepped back and nodded. "Much better."

"Really?"

"Once we've put on these," holding up a vest, jacket and bowtie for Natsu to see, Hisui continued, "you'll look stunning." The Princess hooked the bowtie around Natsu's neck and pulled him close, leaving a small gap between them. "I'll do this once, then you try." Hisui started her first loop, "I suppose," a playful smile crept up, "I can help you every time, I wouldn't mind seeing a view like this, getting lost in those eyes..."

"I want to do it myself." Hisui's smile widened.

"Lovely."

hard cut

"Why did you send Natsu back in there?" Hisui asked, annoyed at Ava's decision.

"You don't get it do you? I sent him back for the thrill of revealing a transformation! Don't you find it fun to keep things under wraps until the last minute? Isn't your heart beating from the suspense?" While she didn't want to admit it, Hisui was getting impatient, she wanted tear the dresses and shirts away as Natsu was taking longer than most people would.

"I don't really underst—" Once the clothing were being pulled back, Hisui gasped; Ava smirked. It came in waves, amplifying with each assault. Shoes clacked satisfyingly on wood, they demanded attention to its wearer: a confident man that erased every bit of childishness. Wrapped in a jet-black jacket, Natsu walked closer to the awaiting females, wearing a slightly annoyed look. His previous wildness became tamer with the additional layers but kept his personality using his scarf to hang loosely off his shoulders. Clean, sharp clothing piled on like armour, forming a grand piece of art, one that gave off an alluring appeal to Hisui.

"Does it really look that weird?" Natsu examined his legs.

"Not at all!" Ava sang. "Right Hisui?"

"Huh? O—of course."

"Seems like a success! Then come back again in a week to pick your clothes up. Since Hisui introduced you, I'll give you a discount."

Arriving two hours before the event was about to start, Hisui and Karie helped Mirajane organise the tables. The guild was decorated days in advance, but it was the first time that Hisui had seen it. What caught her attention the most was a brilliant Christmas tree being a bright bastion bringing life to everything else in the room. Compared to what is normally setup in traditional balls that Hisui was so used to, this one held the spirit of family wherever she looked. Instead of massive windows overlooking a twinkling capital in the night—far away from the distance— Hisui enjoyed warm street lights and festive colours from nearby households. Complex, flamboyant decorations forsaken for unprofessional but charming, handmade streamers and ribbons. The smell of food travelled from the side, meeting with the three ladies in the centre of a wide area for the main event.

"I think it's time for you two to get changed," Karie said, "I'll handle the rest, this uniform can afford to get dirty after all."

"We still have time before the others show up, so me and Hisui can afford to help for a while longer. Also, I don't think it's fair for us to stand at the side when you're working so hard by yourself, especially when you're not going to enjoy yourself when the event starts."

"I've tried to get Karie join in before but, she never does. It's a shame too, you would be very popular, and didn't your mother tell you to find a partner soon?"

"That doesn't matter right now." Karie replied briskly. "I can finish things up, you two just change."

"There really isn't we can do will change your mind?"

"Not at the moment."

"Fine, Mira, we'll change first."

"Is that really fine?"

"Don't worry, we've got plenty of chances left."

"I suppose…then, we'll go change, Karie, let us know if you need help."

"I will." Mirajane and Hisui hurried to a changing room with their dresses in tow. The former still miffed with what happened.

"Should we really let her do that?" Mirajane asked, showering her bare skin in light.

"Don't worry, there's a reason why she wants us to leave for a while, you didn't see it but, being with someone for long gives you a good idea on what they're thinking. This time, she wants to be alone." Folding her current dress, Hisui replied calmly. "As for why, I can't really say, that's why I propose we go back quietly to see what's she planning. But still, that's a really showy dress you're planning to wear."

"Is it?" Mirajane tilted her head while holding out a black dress with a huge slit at the side. It was strapless and showed a good part of the wearer's back. "I guess the photo shoots really messed with my sense of modesty."

"You mean you wasn't planning to seduce someone with that?"

"What? No, of course not! I just thought that this would look nice. Yours had the same thought process right?"

"Well, I did find something to look forward to after all." Hisui's dress was a deep green and clung close to her figure, but not enough to show each curve with detail, flaring outwards near the helm of the dress. Above a belt made of vines, golden embroideries resembling tree branches stopped growth at the shoulders. Paired with white gloves that covered her forearms and a simple emerald necklace, Hisui spun around. "Can you help me?"

"Sure." Mirajane noted the accessory tying Hisui's hair together while she zipped the dress up. "I don't recall many days when you weren't wearing that barrette, does it mean anything?"

"It's sort of a promise that I made with someone, I promised to wear it as often as possible."

"Who is it?"

"You'll find out shortly won't you?"

"Then let's hurry back, we've been here longer than I wanted." To Hisui's disappointment, Karie already finished setting up and was sitting on a chair, turning pages of a book. "You did all this by yourself?"

"Some boys helped me while you were gone."

"But you didn't accept our offer?"

"Well, this was about to be delivered." Closing her book, Karie produced a red box. "Merry Christmas, Hisui, I hope you like it."

"Can I open it?"

"Please." Making sure to not create any tears in the wrapping, Hisui peered inside the box and found a grey scarf. "It's getting cold and, you don't seem to be getting as many rests as I would like so, this is the most that I can do to make sure that you don't get a cold, just make sure that you wear it."

"I will, thank you." Hisui held the scarf to her cheek, sinking in a layer of soft wool. "Who made this? I can feel the care put into this."

"This was Her Majesty's creation, it was incomplete however, so I took the liberty to finish it. I then took it for strengthening and made sure it would be delivered here at the exact time. I hope you don't mind?"

"Why would I? I haven't received anything from mother in so long, thank you." Relishing in an imaginary warmth, Hisui held her gift like a person.

It wasn't long until the guild hall was filled with chatter and laughter, topped with the scent of alcohol. Hisui searched for a tuff of pink hair in the crowd. People had found their partners to dance with. Yet, Hisui hasn't found hers. She wandered around the hall, stopping at every pink object her eyes would find. Once she found her ember in the dark, Hisui found out the reason for Natsu's sudden increase in hiding proficiency; he was fenced-off. Regret began swirling, bubbling and heating into a concoction of slight jealousy. Though just about everyone was invited and Hisui expected for guys like Natsu to be popular, the result before her was completely outside her calculations. She hates miscalculations.

"Natsu! The dance is about to start, are you ready?"

"You're a lifesaver!" Natsu pushed aside the crowd around him and grabbed Hisui's hands. "Let's go!"

"So why were you surrounded by those people?"

"They said they were my fans, they wouldn't stop asking me stuff." Music started playing, soft sounds flew, making everyone a part of the performance.

"We should start, I hope you've been practising." Hisui held out her hand which Natsu took eagerly.

"You bet I did!" Hisui pulled Natsu close and wrapped her arm around Natsu's shoulder, smiling once Natsu embraced her. Hisui followed Natsu's movements, dancing together in a circle, getting immersed with each other, not aware they were attracting attention. "See?"

"It's like you were two different people." They went on for a few more cycles. "Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"Why were you so insistent in dancing with me?"

"I just really wanted to."

"That's it?"

"I don't need other reasons, I just want to be with you, just like all the other times."

"I suppose…"

"Why did you agree to dancing with me?"

"To be honest, I found balls like these to be boring, or at the very least, something that I don't find enjoyable. But, you've taught me many things in the time that I've known you, that I should ask for people for help when I can't handle things by myself. There's always someone that will support me no matter what. Through the time we've spent together, even the little things, I've come to enjoy your presence. So maybe, I thought that you could change my mind, maybe by adding you into the equation, it would change my opinion on the things that I previously disliked. In a way, this was a test to my hunch.

"Can you imagine my surprise when I found out how pleasant the results were? You're a very dangerous person to me," Hisui tightened her grip on Natsu, closing their distance, hungry for his warmth, "I've been thinking about you more often, and I've been thinking about my behaviour when I'm with you. I'm like a different person entirely but…I don't hate it." Burning wood muffed out any food or liquor from Hisui's nose.

"Then you like me?"

"If I didn't like you, I wouldn't be considering ruling the kingdom with you, I'm waiting on giving you an answer is because I don't want to make a mistake, I can't put the country on the line just because of my silly thoughts. I need to make sure whether these feelings are going to last."

"Then I just have to convince you."

"Please do."

"Would you mind if I start now?"

"Not at all." Hisui said, anticipation growing.

"I've been thinking about what to give you for Christmas and buying for a Princess is a big pain in the ass."

"Language." Hisui smiled, softly rubbing circles on Natsu's hand with her thumb. And suddenly, Hisui wished she wasn't wearing gloves.

"There's no way I can impress you by buying something expensive, so I got you something I think that you might like."

"And that is?"

"Let's take a break outside."

Leaving their positions—Natsu still having a firm grip of Hisui's hand—the two went under a starry sky, peppered with snow. Apart from faint music behind them, a thick blanket of silence covered them—to the point where Hisui can hear Natsu's breathing which, also made her wonder what could Natsu hear from her, no doubt was present in Hisui's mind that her heartbeat was one of the things he's enjoying, excited and uncontrollable. The warmly-lit city stirred Hisui, she allowed this to happen. It's always moments like this where Hisui would be glad of the job that she has. Squinting her eyes, smiles dominated her view, further cemented the reward she's reaping.

"Are you cold?" Natsu squeezed along with his question. The girl in question just propped against Natsu's chest, letting her cooling body speak. "Sorry to make you come out here."

"Don't be, I quite like my position. So, apart from this amazing view, what else did you get me?"

"This." From his pocket, Natsu handed out a small wood box. Save the lid, no patterns or picture could be found. That's why the sole tree branding took Hisui's interest. "I know that your work is tiring. Although I haven't seen it because you've hid it so well, I'm sure that you've gone through moments when you just want to give up. That's why I want you to have this.

"I hope this can give you strength to carry on. I fell in love with the you that worked as hard as you could, but, that comes at a cost. To make it worse, I'm not always there to help you, I might be off on job or you might be in some meeting in a different city. The point is, every time I'm not there and you need some encouragement, open this. Until I can stand side-by-side with you in your world, this will be everything I can offer to you. Open it, Merry Christmas."

Inside the box was a small, but strong flame twinkling with a radiance that Hisui had never seen before from a fire, it strangely felt alive. She didn't understand why or how, nor did she want to find out for fear of it disappearing, the tiny flame transferred warmth to her heart. It spoke to her—reassured her. Her stress boiled away in the slow, steady flicker.

"Thank you, I will use this."

"I hope that you wouldn't."

"Pardon?"

"Why would I want to see you in a state where you're broken and tired? This is a last resort when I'm powerless to prevent anything."

"If you say so…" Hisui closed the box and pressed harder to Natsu. "though that puts me in a bad spot, I can't really win against that present."

"It doesn't matter, I'll accept anything."

"I need you to close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Just do it." Looking up to confirm that Natsu was in darkness and no one was looking, Hisui pulled up her dress, fumbled around with her garter belt and pulled out her gift. "You can open your eyes now." With flushed cheeks, Hisui held a locket for Natsu to see. It was gold, engraved with leaf patterns for texture, made subtle to highlight the Fairy Tail symbol on the lid.

"Where did you hide this?" Shivers ran along Hisui as she felt Natsu inspect every part of her to find any blind spots where she could have hidden her present.

"Don't ask."

"Thanks then!" Natsu grinned as he accepted his gift. "I really like but, do you mind me keeping this at home? I don't want to damage it."

"No, I wouldn't want you to lose it either."

"Then let's head back, everyone might be wandering where we went."

"One last thing."

"Hmm?" Hisui yanked on Natsu's scarf to plant a kiss on his cheek. It was quick, meaningless to some, but Hisui wanted to go for another one. The pounding in her heart was exhilarating. Wrapping her arms around Natsu, she hugged Natsu with everything she could offer. Finding herself in a burning forest, the smell reminded Hisui to continue with her gift. So Hisui got on her toes, using Natsu's shoulders for support.

"Merry Christmas…" Hisui whispered to Natsu's ear. "Let's have another great year." Once Hisui pulled away, a mischievous smile bloomed in the dissipating scent of wood. "Oh dear, did I turn you off? Perhaps another one will reverse the damage." Burning wood invaded Hisui's sense of smell once more.

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 **Merry Christmas(hopefully it's Christmas in your timezone)! I hope you liked the chapter, I know I had fun writing it. Maybe this scratches the itch for the people that wants more heartwarming moments between the two.**

 **I want to take this time to thank everyone that took interest into this story, I have no idea how many of you enjoyed this train wreck of a story, only that some liked it enough to stick around. So thanks again for the support on this ride thus far!**

 **I wish you all to have happy holidays and a great new year, I've never been the kind of person to give gifts to the people I know, so, in a sense, this is the biggest present I've ever given someone, but I'll stop rambling and get to the point. I expect my uploading to be more messy in the coming year so I'm going to say sorry in advance.**

 **That's all I got for now, have a nice day!**


	27. Chapter 27: Chasing

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

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Hisui tossed in her bed for the tenth time as she's tried to sleep. The talk she just finished with Fiore proved to be too stimulating for her head. Now her head was a swinging pendulum. One side was wondering what Fiore was hiding from her. Her spirit was never the type to hide details from her, learning that there was something being tightly sealed just made it harder for Hisui to sleep. The other side was considering who to hire for an investigation. The letter gave too much of a lead that Hisui couldn't pass out on. Bouncing between both sides, Hisui turned on her bed again until finally, she decided who to hire. A grinning pink-head was the last thing swimming around Hisui's head before finally stopping at light moments, diminishing to stillness.

Hisui woke up at her usual time, just when a sliver of gold was peaking from a mountain out her window. Karie was the only one that should be up earlier than Hisui. Swinging out her bed and stretching, Hisui quickly finished her morning rituals and rushed down a flight of stairs—making sure to bring a potted plant with her. Freshly baked beard filled the dining room, masking the subtle hint of tea. Eggs crackled on a pan. A single light lacrima guided Hisui to a seat with her meal. Hisui placed the pot under light source, watching it twitch and sway.

"Sorry, I woke up ten minutes later, I'm wrapping up right now." Karie said.

"What happened?"

"Father was being embarrassing last night."

"You called him?"

"He did." Karie slid a plate of eggs and a small dish of salad to Hisui before sitting down herself with a meal in hand. "He was making sure if I was taking care of myself, he heard rumours of thugs being more active." Karie poured some water in the pot.

"I think they should be scared of you, not the other way around."

"He still thinks I'm not strong enough, despite not coming from a battle-oriented background. I wish he has more faith in the training mother gave me."

"You know that's not going to happen." Hisui teared a piece of bread and chewed it slowly.

"What about you? I know you read the letter, anything useful?" Hisui used the bread to buy her time.

"It got me a lead, I just need to send someone to follow that lead."

"Do you want me to go?"

"I'm helpless without you here."

"Why did you think I taught you those life skills? You can manage, albeit you'll be scraping by."

"I was thinking of who to hire last night, I need someone strong, can track a flower well and have experience in a forest."

"You're thinking of a Dragon-slayer?"

"What do you think of Erza's team?"

"They should be fine, I'm just worried that they aren't the most suited to sneak around and get information."

"Can you think of any team in Fairy Tail where being discreet and covert is their strong suit?"

"If you tell me to think of the opposite, the list won't end." Karie chuckled. "But no, I can't seem to recall anyone. Levy and Wendy might fit into that category."

"What happens if they get caught? I don't mean to mock their strength, but I'm worried whether they can defend themselves."

"We can't seem to get both sides…then let's ask Erza, no amount of information is worth potentially losing our friends."

"Perhaps they can use their explosiveness to their advantage. If they manage to find someone relevant, it'll be easier to get the information out of them."

"Are you sure you don't want me to go?"

"Of course I'm sure." Hisui took her last sip from her drink. Just then, taps came from the staircase and a yawning Erza wearing a white blouse joined the table. "You're up early, do you need to train?"

"Nothing that strenuous, I didn't sleep well last night."

"Are you fine?"

"It's nothing to worry about. Karie, I hate to bother you but, do you have anything to eat?"

"I'll cook something now, it won't take long." Karie clicked a stove on and got to work.

"Thanks."

"Erza?" Hisui started. "Is your team planning to go on a job?"

"We're planning to find one today, why?"

"I want to hire your team to do something for me."

"Do you want to wait until we get to the guild and then explain?"

"That's what I was intending."

"Are you sure they will be fine Hisui?" The potted plant asked in a sleepy voice. The healthy green stalk wiggled and shoved soil back and forth. The dance resulted in Fiore stepping out of the pot brimming with energy. Her snow-white dress was thicker than normal, reaching to her feet rather than ending at the knees. "Do they even know what the flower looks like? Since you're planning to bring that Dragon-slayer, does he know what it smells like?"

"And that's where you come in Fi, you can re-create it right?"

"Not perfectly, just what it looks like. As for the smell…I…forgot." Fiore flailed her arms in defence from her master's scrutinising gaze. "I haven't seen one in so long! Can you blame me for forgetting?"

"Can you at least try to remember? This is crucial." Wandering around the room, Hisui grabbed a pot from a shelf and returned. "Will this help?" Hisui pulled a piece of candy.

"Maybe." Fiore threw the sweet in her mouth, swelling it up like a balloon. "Give me a minute." A plate of food slid under Erza and she started to eat while keeping an eye on the spirit after giving her thanks. Holding up her hand, Fiore casted a flowery scent that no one could recognise. "Is it this? No…this?" Another shift in aroma. The last one was the smell similar to bread. Currently, a combination of acid burn and fruits lingered. "Nope. How about…this?" The smell in the room kept changing at random, mainly exotic flowers dominated the room, though milder flowers peeked in to break the long train line of intense flavours. "This is it!" Fiore shouted, stopping at a sweet fruit smell that gave everyone a sour look. "I'm impressed with myself!" Twirling, Fiore jumped in the pot Hisui grabbed and picked out a few sweets before hopping back out, slowly savouring each candy. Cutlery clattered on an empty plate as Erza finished a glass of tea.

"Should we go now?" Hisui asked, taking the plates to a sink.

Erza drummed her fingers on the table. "It's still early, not many people arrived yet, Natsu and Gray is still sleeping, Lucy should have arrived. Your call."

"When does Natsu and Gray wake up then?"

Erza glanced up at a clock and replied. "In about two hours."

"They're not the early people are they?"

"Ever since we were young."

"I think we should set out now, I have something to ask of Master."

"What did Natsu do this time?"

"Nothing troubling, though, it does involve him."

"Then let's not keep him waiting." Hisui scooped her spirit up and placed Fiore in her hair.

"You two go on ahead," Karie said, "I'll cook breakfast for everyone first."

Turning up at the Fairy Tail building, Erza slammed open the door, frowning at a split bench surrounded by a group of people beating each other. She stepped on splinters as Erza summoned a glinting sword to her hand.

"How many times…do I have to tell you guys to stop fighting!" Erza roared, throwing her sword between two people, snipping a few strands of hair as it soared. "That's the eighth bench we have to replace this week! Who's the one that started this?" The red fury, picked a whimpering man by the collar, slamming a fist to him once he provided nothing but high-pitched stammers. "Answer me!" Two victims dropped to the ground.

"Mira, is the Master in his office?" Hisui asked a barmaid busy with two trays of drinks after helping a man up.

"Yes, he told me that he doesn't have too many things to do today."

"Thank you. Erza, I'll talk with Master first, don't be too harsh to them."

"If they learn their lesson." The woman grumbled.

Hisui knocked twice on a door with a worn brass knob and enter when she heard her signal. Makarov was sitting on his desk cradling his head with one hand and holding up a letter with another.

"Is that more property damage?" Hisui offered.

"Huh? Oh, it's Hisui. Have a seat. Unfortunately, yes, the brats have destroyed a wall in a nearby town."

"I received word that the construction company here is hiring more people, I have to replace ten walls ever since I came here."

"It's gotten better my dear, before it was double that number. But that's enough about my problems, what can I do for you?"

"I want to talk to you about Natsu."

"What did he do this time?" The old man placed his letter in pile and wrapped a elastic band around it. "It's a bit too early for drinking. I apologize nonetheless for what he has done."

"He's caused a lot of trouble for you, hasn't he?" Hisui smiled.

"It's not just him, Gajeel, Laxus, even Erza has a tendency to go overboard."

"This time, it isn't about how much money Natsu owes someone, I want to ask for a favour."

"What is it?"

"I want you to teach Natsu about politics when I'm not here."

"You what!?"

"I guess I should start from the beginning."

"Perhaps I need a drink after all…"

"After the Christmas celebration, Natsu confessed to me." A small smile started to form. "At first, I thought he was just joking, his eyes annihilated all my doubts, he's planning to be King."

"You accepted?"

"Not yet, I still have to sort out some of my feelings first, and even then, he hasn't gone through any training. I can't just give so much power to someone that doesn't know what to do with it." Makarov nodded. "I made preparations to give him to education that he needs, while I plan to teach him personally, I'm not always available."

"So you want me to teach him?"

"Precisely."

"Surely, there're better teachers than me out there?"

"I assure you, there is. It's just…Natsu doesn't listen to everyone. And besides Lucy, I don't know many people that has been taught politics. But Lucy hasn't practised it for a long time. That's why you're the perfect person to teach him, a Wizard Saint such as yourself has plenty of experience in this regard. You know how to teach Natsu without being a sleeping aid. I know it's a huge favour to ask when Natsu isn't suited for this field, and I don't plan for him to engage in those activities as often as I will, but he must be able to deal with different scenarios. Can you help me?"

"If that's what Natsu wants…I'll help him. It's a parent's job to support his children in any way he can."

"Thank you so much!"

"But how will we coordinate our teaching material?"

"You don't have to worry about that. It isn't efficient for the both of us to teach him the same subject. That's why I'll teach him the other sides of being a ruler."

"I find it hard to imagine Natsu wrapping his head around something so broad, he has enough trouble past five figure numbers."

"He'll have to learn it then. We don't have all the time in the world, father is healthy now but, I have to be prepared to take over him. Once I become Queen, I can avoid marriage for a few years."

"It's a tall task for him."

"I believe in him." Hisui looked squarely at Makarov. "He's overcome tough fights before, education is just a fight but with a different skin. If he's willing to keep his will, he can do it."

The two continued to share ideas and worries, going off-topic a few times. Once Hisui exited the office, she found the team she was planning on hiring gathered around a table with Natsu waving Hisui to come closer.

"Sorry, my talk with Master went longer than I thought it would."

"No problem," Erza replied, taking a bite of her a cake, "since we're all here, do you want to tell us what happened?"

"I have to start from the beginning then, if you have any questions when I'm telling you the story, please go ahead." Receiving nods, Hisui began to pour out her worries. "I'm sure you all know when I went away for the capital, I was attending a funeral. Father told me that the death wasn't natural but an assassination."

"Who died?" Natsu asked, drawing a sigh from Lucy.

"You don't pay attention to the news, do you?" Lucy asked.

"Why should I?"

"So I don't have to tell you want happened every time!" Another sigh. "Anyway, a Duke passed away not too long ago, Wilford Vernati, lord of the Vernati House." Seeing Natsu's vacant expression, Lucy continued. "Famous for their Take-over magic. Still nothing?"

"Knowing who His Grace was isn't important in my job for you," Hisui said, "he was poisoned with a plant called One's Mercy, according to Fi, there's only one place where you can find it. I received word that someone else investigated the source of the poison and they never came back. I want your team to go there and find any information that you can. You still might be able to find the supplier involved with the assassination.

"The person behind this, is most likely the same one that staged the attack on Magnolia. Fi said they'll continue to do damage if I don't catch them soon. That's why I want as much information as I can get, can you help me?"

"Who do you think we are?" Natsu said. "Anyone who picks a fight with Fairy Tail will have to deal with us! You bet we'll do it!"

"Where can we find this plant?" Gray asked.

"Fi can tell you that." Wiggling out of Hisui's hair, Fiore jumped on the table and twirled.

"Tada!"

"Please just get on with it."

"You're never fun to be around."

"Fi!"

"Fine, fine, it's not even that time of the month…anyway, you can find the stupid flower in Grasping Forest, any of you heard of the place? No? Well, it's a dangerous place because lots of weird and scary animals live there, thankfully for me, they don't have much herbivores. On the flip side, that means there's a higher chance of you guys ending up as lunch. Also, the place is pretty big, so don't get lost. I could tell you about all the fatal plants there too but, we'll be here all day. So I'll give you a rule of thumb instead! Just don't touch plants that you don't know and be on the lookout for moving vines and bright red petals.

"Now for what you're looking for," Fiore turned her hand into a six-petalled white flower with sky-blue rims, "this is it! And for the Dragon-slayer…here you go!" Shaking the flower, Fiore casted it's smell all over the room. "Personally, I think you should take the girl as well, having another Dragon-slayer will help a lot."

Clearing her throat, Hisui gave her final thoughts. "I wish I could give you more information, especially when you're going to such a dangerous place. I do have once last I want to stress before I leave to prepare. No matter what, please promise me that you won't do anything that would cost your lives. I rather have my friends back than information. And Natsu, can I talk to you in private?"

"Sure. You guys tell Wendy what we're doing." When it was just Hisui and Natsu, Hisui sent Fiore away. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry, I was planning to start your lessons soon and I just sent you away on job like that."

"That's what you're worried about?"

"I'm scared of losing anyone in this job as well."

"You don't trust us?"

"That's not the point, I—"

"I'll just take your lessons after I come back, it's as simple as that." Natsu grinned. "You really are weird sometimes."

"You just don't understand me that well then." A smile crept up on Hisui's lips. "I'll prepare for your lessons for when you come back, don't go running away from them when you come back."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Thanks for the suggest to have Makarov teach Natsu by the way.**

 **I ramble quite a bit on this one, sorry.**

 **I'm pretty sure that some if not a lot of people realise that most of my scenes and chapters feel really uninspired. That's because it really is, I'm losing interest in this story and for the last few weeks now, I wanted to wrap this story up quickly and take like a few weeks off before I start writing again. Unfortunately, this is the end result. I mean, just look at my chapter titles and you'll see that no effort was put into them.**

 **I understand if you don't want to read this story any further, I feel like for seven or so—maybe even more—chapters, the quality of this story is going to shit. If you compare to my previous story, you can(at least I can) feel the heart I put into that story, and I just can't feel the same with this one.**

 **If you read closely, you'll realise that most of the dialogue are spoken by the same person, with the exception of Fiore and Natsu I guess. Every conversation I write has no defining characteristics, Hisui doesn't feel like this well-educated Princess aside from the fact that I've never or rarely written to have her stutter when talking, everyone else doesn't have personality, they feel dead, or at the very least, they're all the same people but with different skins.**

 **It's not just the dialogue either, you'll find that most of my descriptions are cookie cutter, not unique at all, I use the same patterns over and over again. I read that someone said that my story feels samey and repetitive, aside from the fact that this story is slower than tar on a cold, winter day, I think that samey feeling also stems from my descriptions.**

 **I think my best chapter I posted since my decline in quality is the Christmas one, I was proud with what I've written, and I'm sure you can see with my previous paragraphs, I don't feel the same with the other ones.**

 **Since I've already come out with what I feel about this story in clearer detail, I might as well come clean with the other issue I have with this story; my uploading schedule.**

 **Looking back, I was using my school as an excuse to not write, I didn't want to write. But at the same time, I have to write, I know some people enjoy what I've been putting out, so for those people, I powered on and hoped that things will get better. But as stated before, the writing quality has gone so bad that I don't think that anyone will enjoy this anymore. I'm becoming what I don't like in this website—at least the anime/manga section of it anyway, I can't say the same about the other ones since I don't go there much—churning out low-quality work.**

 **I can go on about why this story isn't worth your time, but I'll stop. I know I said that I'm planning to finish this story, I honestly don't know if I can and I'm sorry for going back on my word. I'll take a break for a week or two before I start writing again. I don't think I'll continue this story after my break, I'll most likely start a new one. Hopefully, this story won't be dead forever, maybe I'll get the inspiration I need to re-write this story, continuing this mess will drive me insane.**

 **Thanks for reading this message, sorry again for messing up such a cool idea. If you still want to see more of my work, you can throw me some ideas on what to write, can be a pairing you want to see, is doesn't have to be Fairy Tail, it could be any anime you like. Maybe I'll start writing Third Time A Charm but from Natsu's point of view if I don't get any suggestions.**

 **Hopefully I'll see you again.**

 **At the very least, I hope _you_ have a nice day! **


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